Eugenio Polanco, the director of the National Seismological Center at the Autonomous University of Santo Domingo (UASD), noted on 22 March 2017, that the seven slight tremors that varied between 3.1 and 3.6 on the Richter scale that have occurred over a 24-hour period between Monday and Wednesday are gentle reminders that the Dominican Republic is located in an earthquake zone and that the population should be prepared to know how to respond to an earthquake. However, Polanco pointed out that “in cases such as these small tremors, there is no need for the population to be alarmed.”
According to a preliminary report from the Seismological Center, between early Tuesday and Wednesday afternoon there were seven quakes registered: Barahona (3.2), northeast of San Rafael de Yuna (3.6); Saona Island in the Caribbean Sea (3.5); northeast of Bayaguana, in Monte Plata (3.4); northwest of San Geronimo in San Pedro de Macorís (3.1) and northwest of Ramon Santana, in San Pedro de Macorís (3.2).
Santana said that if all of these quakes had occurred in the same spot there could have been a major earthquake. But since these tremors were spread out mostly over the southern half of the island of Hispaniola their effects were minimal. However, they serve to remind us that we do live in an earthquake prone area.
23 March 2017
