The coast of southern Mexico was rattled by a powerful earthquake on Tuesday morning that triggered a tsunami alert for Pacific coastlines along Central America.
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) said the quake had a preliminary magnitude of 7.4 and struck around 11:29 a.m. ET, 7 miles west of Santa María Zapotitlán, Mexico.
The temblor had a depth of about 20 miles and was centered along the Pacific coast of Oaxaca state.near the resort of Huatulco.
The quake was felt in Guatemala and throughout south and central Mexico.
A magnitude 7.4 earthquake in southern Mexico triggered a tsunami warning for the Pacific Coasts of countries in Central America. (USGS)
The National Weather Service's (NWS) Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC) said that "hazardous" tsunami waves from the quake are possible within 620 miles of the epicenter, along the Pacific coasts of Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras.
Tsunami waves of up to 3 to 9 feet are possible along some coasts of Mexico, while tsunami waves of up to 3 feet are possible for Ecuador. In the rest of Central America, tsunami waves of up to a foot were possible along the Pacific Coast, according to the PTWC.
The PTWC said that those located in threatened coastal areas should stay alert for information, and follow instructions from national and local authorities.
Officials said that while a tsunami threat exists for parts of the Pacific located closer to the epicenter, there is no threat for Hawaii or the U.S. West Coast.
Power was knocked out to some areas in Mexico, but there were no immediate reports of injuries.
Images posted to social media showed damage to some buildings in the Oaxaca state.
In Huatulco, a laid-back beach destination known for surfing and small protected coves, the earthquake knocked goods off shelves and some rubble from buildings.
Mari González of the Princess Mayev hotel in Huatulco told the Associated Press that staff and guests were able to evacuate the building before the quake, but that 45 minutes after the initial quake they were still outside as strong aftershocks continued.
“It was strong, very strong,” she said.
González said there was some visible broken glass and mirrors, but no major damage.
Local news media reported damage to some buildings in the state capital, Oaxaca city. State officials said they were looking for damage.
Video posted to Twitter also showed a sidewalk moving as the earthquake hit the area.
The quake along the coast was strong enough to be felt in central and southern Mexico, swaying buildings in Mexico City and sending thousands into the streets.
Juarez public hospital health workers wait on a street after a 7.4 earthquake sent them out from their work areas, in Mexico City, Tuesday, June 23, 2020. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo)
Seismic alarms sounded midmorning with enough warning for residents to exit buildings, according to the Associated Press.
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Helicopters flew over downtown Mexico City and police patrols sounded their sirens.
Video taken nearly 300 miles from the epicenter showed the quake strong enough to create waves in a pool.
The USGS estimated that some 2 million people felt strong or moderate shaking and another 49 million felt weak or light shaking.
Mexico's Pacific coast is located along the volatile "Ring of Fire,” a horseshoe-shaped series of fault lines around the ocean.
The region is the location of most of Earth's subduction zones, where oceanic plates slide under the lighter continental plates.
Earthquakes tend to happen when those plates scrape or subside underneath each other, and when that happens at sea it can spawn tsunamis.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Magnitude 7.4 earthquake strikes Mexico, tsunami threat possible for Central America - Fox News
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