NTWC Rules Out Tsunami After 6.1 Leeward Islands Quake
Updated
Updated · Weatherboy · May 16
NTWC Rules Out Tsunami After 6.1 Leeward Islands Quake
3 articles · Updated · Weatherboy · May 16
A 6.1-magnitude earthquake struck near the Leeward Islands at 10:50 a.m. ET, and the National Tsunami Warning Center said no tsunami is expected for the U.S. East Coast, Gulf Coast or eastern Canada.
The center issued a tsunami information statement saying earthquake data and historical tsunami records show no imminent threat, and said no further U.S. messages are planned unless conditions change.
The quake hit at a depth of 39 miles near 17.6 north, 61.0 west in the Caribbean Sea, reducing concern that it would abruptly displace enough seafloor to generate destructive waves.
Atlantic tsunamis are less common than Pacific events but remain possible from major offshore quakes or submarine landslides, as shown by the 1929 Grand Banks tsunami and the 1755 Lisbon event.
This Atlantic quake was minor, but could a similar one trigger a submarine landslide and a surprise tsunami on the U.S. coast?
Is the new Tsunami Act of 2026 preparing the U.S. for a genuine Atlantic threat or just a rare, distant possibility?