What part of Puerto Rico did the earthquake hit?

Puerto Rico’s Shaken South: When the Earth Wouldn’t Stop Trembling

Remember early 2020? While the world was bracing for a pandemic, Puerto Rico was dealing with something else entirely: an earthquake swarm that just wouldn’t quit. Now, earthquakes aren’t exactly new to the island, sitting as it does right on the edge of the Caribbean and North American plates. But this was different. This was relentless.

While the whole island felt the tremors, it was the southwestern corner that really got hammered. Think of towns like Guánica, Guayanilla, and Peñuelas – they were right in the thick of it. Places like Ponce, Utuado, San Germán, and Yauco weren’t spared either. Even neighboring spots like Cabo Rojo and Lajas took a beating. It was a tough time for everyone there.

January 7th, 2020. That’s a date many Puerto Ricans won’t forget. That’s when the big one hit – a magnitude 6.4 earthquake that really shook things up. The coastline near Ponce and Guánica? Devastated. Homes crumbled, businesses shut down, and power went out across the region. Imagine being without electricity for days, not knowing when the next jolt would come. The Costa Sur power plant, a major source of electricity for the island, was badly damaged. Fixing it? A year, at least.

Sadly, there were lives lost. At least one person died directly from the quake, and several others were injured. And heartbreakingly, some people passed away from medical issues, likely brought on by the stress of it all. It just goes to show how much these events can impact people’s health, both physically and mentally.

One odd thing that happened? The water flow in the Rio Yauco and Rio Guayanilla actually increased after the quakes. It’s a reminder that these events can change the landscape in unexpected ways.

Turns out, that Punta Montalva Fault on the southwest coast might be to blame for the swarm. And according to the USGS, these kinds of earthquake swarms are super tricky to predict. They even said it could go on for years! Talk about unsettling.

The cost of all this damage? An estimated $3.1 billion. That’s a lot of money to rebuild homes, businesses, and roads. And who can forget the iconic Punta Ventana natural arch in Guayanilla? It collapsed during the quakes, a symbol of just how powerful these forces of nature can be.

The government declared a state of emergency, and the National Guard was called in to help. Federal aid arrived to support the recovery. But even with all that help, the aftershocks kept coming, making it hard to get back on our feet. It was a long, difficult road, and the scars of those earthquakes are still felt today.