Sunday, February 9

A major 7.6 magnitude earthquake struck the Caribbean yesterday, shaking the entire region and sparking tsunami warnings for several islands.

The quake struck just before 6:30 pm local time and had an epicenter around 130 miles south-southwest of the city of George Town, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS).

The earthquake was located along a fault line between the Caribbean and North American plates, which is known as the Cayman Trough. The namesake Cayman Islands are located near the fault line, with the archipelago's capital at George Town.

Due to the earthquake's position in the middle of the ocean, a tsunami warning was issued for the region, including warnings from the US for Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. People were urged to move to higher ground as governments predicted up to a meter of sea level rise, but the warnings were later rescinded after it became apparent that a major tsunami was not on the way.

However, any rise in sea levels after an earthquake is considered a tsunami, meaning that the 1.2 inches of sea level rise that some parts of Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula received are considered to be a tsunami.

No damage was reported, though, and no one was injured in the shaking.

At least 30 people are missing after a devastating landslide hit a rural town in China, and rescue operations are now underway.

The landslide took place in the southwestern portion of the country's rural Sichuan province, burying at least 10 houses. Hundreds of people were forced to evacuate, and the local government was quick to react.

Firefighters and rescuers raced to the scene and begun rescue operations-- two people were rescued from the rubble, but dozens of others are still missing.

Locals have confirmed that the mountain that suffered the landslide had displayed signs of instability over the last few months, with rocks occasionally rolling down the hill. Geological investigations have also been launched into the surrounding areas to prevent similar events from happening in the future, with investigators scanning nearby mountains for unstable rock formations.

Fact of the Day (Reader's Digest): You need to burn around 3,500 calories to lose one pound of fat.

Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): Life seems sometimes like nothing more than a series of losses, from beginning to end. That's the given. How you respond to those losses, what you make of what's left, that's the part you have to make up as you go. (Katharine Weber)

Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Finesse (verb, fuh-NESS) - To finesse something is to bring it about, direct it, or manage it by skillful maneuvering.

In a Sentence: We managed to finesse a favorable deal on some Beatles LPs at the flea market through subtle bargaining.