Tsunami warning issued for entire southern coast o the Dominican Republic

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic – The Emergency Operations Center COE issued a tsunami alert on Wednesday for the southern coast of the Dominican Republic after the Dominican Institute of Meteorology INDOMET reported a magnitude 7.2 earthquake west of Puerto Cabello, Venezuela.

Alert levels issued

COE director Juan Manuel Méndez Juan Manuel Méndez said a yellow alert was declared for the southern coast from Pedernales to Barahona, while a green alert was issued for the area extending from Barahona to La Altagracia.

He urged residents in coastal and high-risk areas to take precautionary measures and called on emergency response agencies to implement the necessary protocols to protect lives and property.

Earthquake details

According to a preliminary INDOMET bulletin, the earthquake struck at 6:04 p.m. local time at a depth of 10 kilometers. The epicenter was located at latitude 10.407 and longitude -68.493, approximately 53 kilometers west of Puerto Cabello.

Coastal precautions

INDOMET recommended that residents move away from coastal zones and, where possible, relocate to higher ground above 20 meters or at least two kilometers inland.

Small and medium-sized vessels were also advised to remain in port and avoid rivers and coastal lagoons due to the risk of strong currents associated with a possible tsunami.