Williston, Fla. (WCJB) – A 6.1 magnitude earthquake off the west coast of Cuba shook parts of Florida on Monday afternoon, causing minor damage to at least one home in Williston.
Jim Freeman was resting at his home at the Cactus Island Nursery in northern Williston when the shaking began around 2 p.m.
“I started shaking in my chair almost like I was on a commuter train pulling into a stop, and the house kind of gently shook like jello and it lasted 10 seconds, 20 seconds, at least 30 seconds and I knew right away this has to be geological has to be an earthquake,” Freeman said.
Freeman said the earthquake caused damage to his home and chicken coop. He said he was surprised to be impacted from so far away.
Dr. Ray Russo, a geophysics professor at the University of Florida, said the direction of the jolt depends on the direction the fault moves. In this case, the movement sent the energy toward Florida, causing shaking and minor damage in Williston.
Russo said ground composition affects shaking intensity more than elevation.
“So if you’re on wet sediments something like you’ll get more shaking than otherwise elevation wouldn’t do it too much,” Russo said.
Officials with the U.S. Geological Survey reported the shaking in the area to be very little. Russo said the damage is surprising but said things happen.
Russo said while rare, north central Florida tends to feel an earthquake every few years.
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