A magnitude 3.8 earthquake struck in the northeastern Caribbean this morning, approximately 215 kilometers southeast of St. John’s, Antigua.

The earthquake occurred at 6:24 am local time on Wednesday, January 1st, according to automatic seismic monitoring data from the University of the West Indies Seismic Research Centre (UWI SRC).

The epicenter was located at latitude 18.82N and longitude 62.77W, with a depth of 10 kilometers beneath the earth’s surface. While the quake was centered relatively close to several Caribbean territories, its moderate magnitude and depth likely meant minimal impact was felt across the region.

St. John’s, Antigua and Barbuda was the second-closest major population center to the epicenter at 215 kilometers northwest. Basseterre, Saint Kitts and Nevis was closest at 169 kilometers north, while Brades, Montserrat was 233 kilometers north-northwest of the seismic event.

Earthquakes of this magnitude typically produce light shaking that may be felt by people indoors, particularly on upper floors of buildings, but rarely cause significant damage or require emergency response. There have been no immediate reports of damage or injuries from any affected territories.

The location has been automatically calculated by computer algorithms and remains preliminary, according to the UWI SRC. The data is subject to potential revisions pending evaluation by seismic analysts who will review the automatic readings for accuracy.

The eastern Caribbean sits along the boundary where the North American tectonic plate meets the Caribbean plate, making the region prone to seismic activity. Minor earthquakes are relatively common in the area, though most go unnoticed by the general population.

Residents are reminded to familiarize themselves with earthquake safety procedures and to report any significant ground shaking to local disaster management authorities.