July 28, 2003 – A small earthquake that occurred late Monday afternoon north of Tortola was felt in the U.S. Virgin Islands, but Victor Huerfano, a research associate at the University of Puerto Rico's Seismic Network, said "there was no damage" as a result.
The 3:42 p.m. tremor registered 3.9 on the Richter Scale, according to Huerfano. It was centered at 18.8 degrees north latitude and 64.7 degrees west longitude, putting it 28 miles north of Tortola.
The Seismic Network reported that the quake took place 40 miles below sea level. It said reports were received from the U.S. and British Virgin Islands. To see a map showing the location, visit the UPR Seismic Network Web site.
The earthquake was so small that it did not register on the National Earthquake Information Center's equipment on the mainland. However, several St. Thomas residents reported feeling the tremor, and a Coral Bay, St. John, resident said it sounded like a big truck passing.
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