With two massive earthquakes in Ecuador and Japan last week, Trinidad-based seismologist Dr. Joan Latchman, has warned that the Caribbean should prepare for a ‘big one.’
In an interview with the Trinidad Express, Latchman said the Eastern Caribbean has a holding pattern of quakes from magnitude 7 to 7.9, every 20 to 30 years, noting that this pattern has stayed true.
She added that the Eastern Caribbean has not seen a large earthquake since 1843 and people should be prepared for its occurrence.
She told the Express that the time, date and magnitude of such an event cannot be predicted, but can warn for the next event in these patterns.
“It should be noted that earthquakes in the magnitude range 8.1-8.5 occur, somewhere in the world, on average every 12-18 months, so one in that magnitude range would be within the normal pattern. Several in that range would indeed be unusual,” Latchman remarked. “A great earthquake is overdue. Because of that and because of the nature of the seismic hazard, long-term preparation was required. We need to build the kind of buildings that can withstand that kind of shaking.”
In terms of the Ecuador and Japan quakes, Latchman said: “The current global seismicity does again appear to be signalling the imminence of an earthquake or earthquakes of magnitude greater than 8.5 in the short term. The imbalance in magnitude output currently being manifested is very reminiscent of that seen in 2004.”
In 2004, an earthquake with a magnitude of 9.1 to 9.3 off the west coast of Sumatra, Indonesia triggered a tsunami, killing an estimated 300,000 people from 14 countries.
Dominica has experienced several earthquakes in recent times; the latest on April 12, when a 4.1 quake was felt in Portsmouth and other northern communities.
Other recent quakes felt in Dominica occurred in November 2015, December 2015, February 2016, and March 2016.
Is It a Coincidence or by Fate?
Political Eruption! 40 years* to the month after the horrible victimization, unrest, destruction, and injustices done overnight by a politically driven group to motivate the masses to attack certain dominicians in the capital, Roseau and the valley (Trafalgar). Suddenly there is an “unrest” and sudden bursts of seismic activity in the area in 2019.
Sometimes, everything seems to synchronize inexplicably, so that two seemingly unrelated situations match up. As a result, people have always associated these chance occurrences with a higher power, making us wonder if they are coincidence or fate or synchronicity.
Intensification overnight! Says Mr. Fitzroy Pascal! Is our forgotten and grievous actions of the past something that can explain it, or is fate simply chaotic and indecipherable? Hmmph!
Mmmmhhmm maybe its coming in 2017
Religious lunatics everywhere. Your god is about as real as the tooth fairy.
The Caribbean is any part of it. No specific island was mentioned.
We are warned but are we really ready for what may instantly affect our environment? It may occur soon or not even in our lifetime, we hope.
People die every second in the world, suddenly, in their sleep, from other illness, accidents and some freak ones.
1 Thessalonians 5-1-3 – Vigilance – Concerning times and seasons, brothers, you have no need for anything to be written to you. For you yourselves know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief at night. When people are saying, “Peace and Security,” then sudden disaster comes upon them, like labor pains upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.
As we give God his dues, we only have to ask him for his protection with a sincere heart.. There is not much else we could do. We leave it in his hands and hope for the best. Life has to go on.
Our Lord Jesus Christ said: “Fear not!”
Jesus, King of Mercy, we trust in You!
Jesus’ disciples asked him ”…what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the age
” (Matthew 24:3) I encourage you to read this entire chapter of Matthew 24.
In His reply Jesus said ”…nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and EARTHQUAKES, in divers places.” (Matthew 24:3-7)
What we are seeing are famines caused by crop failures. Pestilences which are strange and unusual diseases. Earthquakes in divers places meaning in a variety of places; countries far removed one from the other, and different types of countries when it comes to geography and climate. They are coming in rapid succession, and increasing severity.
God is trying to get our attention
Jesus is coming. Only those who are SAVED will be ready to meet Him!
Please read John 3:16,17, 1 Corinthians 15:1-4, and Romans 1:16.
Sincerely, Rev. Donald Hill. Evangelist.
All of us will die and rot and nobody will ever see this jesus character lol. But y’all making money by selling this lie to people so I can’t blame you. More power to you
Your comment is nonsense which came straight from the devil’s mouth as he deceives you. You would like to believe that no one will see Our Lord Jesus Christ when they die. You are wrong! Even those who reject Him will see him.
He will show himself to everyone, those destined for Heaven and those destined for Hell.
The good/holy will see him and will be elated.
The evil, those who reject him will also see him. They will be sorrowful forever.
Our Lord Jesus Christ said, “Whoever believe in Me will not be put to shame.”
Do you know what that shame is? They will not go to Hell and burn forever and ever in Satan’s cauldron of everlasting fire.
You will do good to believe in Our Lord Jesus Christ that, He is King, Savior and just Judge of the world.
Know that your beliefs cannot change a thing. What God has ordained, no one can change it. It is here to stay. When will you learn this?
Rev. Donald Hill
This post is about a scientist in the region who is charged with the responsibility of providing sound scientific advise to the governments of this region to protect lives and property of its people. Sr. Joan Latchman is the chief seismologist at the Seismic Research Center in Trinidad and has acted as head of that unit on several occasions. Dr. Latchman is giving her scientific analysis of the vulnerability of the region to a magnitude 8.0 earthquake. The least you can do is to advise your congregation to take heed, build earthquake resistant structures, learn to protect themselves from an earthquake and know what to do after an earthquake strikes.
I am amazed that you can so easily place your ignorance up front on your forehead. What does Jesus have to do with the vulnerability of our islands to earthquakes? Dominica and its neighbouring islands sit in a seismically active zone. In these zones we get earthquakes and volcanoes. Please stop spreading ignorance.
When people as you do not comprehend something and refuse to, you call their comments ignorance. From whose point of view is it ignorance? Yours, of course. This does not say much.
Learn to be tolerant of the comments of others. Respond but do not call whatever is said about Our Lord Jesus Christ ignorant. People have their views and you have yours which others may not agree with.
The truth must prevail. Some of you would like to water it down, prevent it from being stated and destroy it. At that, you insult people and their comments.
Our Lord can change anything in the world if He so wishes for He is God. He sees what is occurring in the world. It is only a matter of time when the worst may occur. Those who believe in Him, worship Him and pray to Him have nothing to fear but fear itself. This is why they can speak in this manner.
so what you are saying?. there was no time in History when there have been EARTHQUAKES, Famines and pestilences.
So what happened in Dominica in 1843? Here is a brief report from the “Dominica Almanack:
“On February 8th 1843, a severe earthquake did much damage, chiefly on the north and windward side of the island. Houses and huts were cracked and dislodged. It destroyed the works of the ‘Melville Hall’ and ‘Londonderry’ estates; injuring also the Roman Catholic Church in Roseau, and the Wesleyan Chapel at Prince Rupert,s (Portsmouth). This was the longest and strongest earthquake yet felt in the island”
There was no report of loss of life but then there were no houses in Dominica higher than two stories at the time and most were made of wood.
Hello Dr. Honeychurch,
It would be nice if you would write a book about dominicas history. I believe that this is greatly lacking in our school and colleges. We know very little abou our own history.
I think we are loosing alot by a lack of knowledge of our history.
Just a thought.
Signs of the time. There shall be earthquakes in divers places. More is yet to come. Be prayerful. Repent and walk in righteousness.
passport money that saving allu Dominicans such fools!!ALLU hearing earthquake but passport money burning allu…Jahhhh boyy!
I remember in 2002 there’s was umpty warning about a possible tsunami and earthquake.scientist warn that it would happen, when and where they didn’t know but it would happen and it would be devastated.clearly enough it happen.
They’ve been warning again we can’t prevent it but we have to pray for the courage to deal with it.God bless all of us
Earthquick is always bringing dong some “religious” house of statue worship. Just like when the god Dagon fell flat pan him face. 1 Samuel 5:3. Go bow down to idols and St. Peter still; see whether Peter or Paul can save you.
A church is a physical building not the rock of God. We are the people are the church and a church can stand anywhere even under a tree. Where two or more are gathered God is felt more than a quake or a hurricane. Let us focus on building our hearts and a nation not structures. Let us clean this country of abuse and corruption, this is what killing us everyday and not earthquakes that come in so many years.
Let us deal with what is killing us now and not worry too much about the unknown., but by building good God given structures we will be saved
Very cleaver my friend,
While they are there supporting corruption, and pastors compromising their faith with a diplomatic passport and thinking that their prayers will have high priority in the courts of heaven that’s what bringing down D/ca / Caribbean / the world
???????? Did you on the stand?
Out of all the buildings that were destroyed in the earthquake in dominica the church was only one of them. Your comment makes no sense. The building fell because it didn’t meet the standards of a building that will be able to withstand seismic force. Unfortunately this is the case for many ancient buildings and relics which just so happen to be religious in nature
Some of you underestimate God, his love, compassion,mercy and forgiveness.
It is at such times some people turn to God. He knows it. He will never turn his back on those who call on him.
Where there is life there is always hope. With God all things are possible.
God is merciful. Those who call on the Name of the Lord will be saved.
A few short but efficacious prayers: Jesus, help me! Jesus, forgive me! Jesus, have mercy on me! Jesus, save me!
warning but they on passport
And you, you have heard and read the warning. What are you doing? Look to yourself.
Floridian Diaspora , Do not worry about the PASSPORT MONEY it is set aside in the bank ready to assist you and families when Donald Trump win the election to post (Deport) your back to Dominica shore where the money will be waiting to assist you and families, so please dont worry my DR PM have it there for you safe and sound.
Who fool you? All you not getting my passport money
You are funny! Worth a laugh.
Don’t worry about me Andrea. I’m an American citizen. And even before that I had a permanent resident card. I’m not one of those who came here on vacation and overstayed. Trump won’t be deporting anything as I’m certainly not Hispanic/Latino. I’m here legally so keep on wishing. Plus I could never take any pass me down pitiful handouts from your pathetic P.M; I’ll leave to the Red peasants to do the begging
floridian desperado,it would be better to shut your crap trap and keep out of Dominica we don’t want you Trump will take care of you stu
When Trump ready for all you that think America is all u own still, stay there and say “Don’t worry about me Andrea. I’m an American citizen.”
ou kay weh American citizen. Some of all you over there doing jobs that you all wouldn’t even do down here. Go on and pack your shelf tan, go and watch di people dem pickney, you doh have a life man u on DNO so.
Zort really sort
I hope that u can stand by your words with that statement!
believe in jesus and stop playing party hacks on skerrit cause jesus is the great judge and some of us are great suspect
Well there was a 7.0 quake in Haiti in 2010. I know it is not on the eastern Caribbean but it is part of the Caribbean plate so who knows where on the plate that tectonic pressure will be released. Eastern Caribbean forms mostly a convergence zone with Atlantic plate and a shear zone with North American plate so watch out for weakest zone.
@Shaka Zulu – If I’m not mistaken, some years ago, there was a magnitude 7.something quake located in somewhere in the channel between Dominica and Martinique.
I recall that it was not a shallow earthquake but was located deep in the earth’s crust hence the reason it did not generate a tsunami or cause greater damage. However, the vibrations of that quake were felt very far south and north of Dominica.
Actually, just did a search online and recovered a report on that magnitude 7.4 quake which occurred in 2007 – http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7120018.stm
P.S. – DNO, could you find out from the researcher what she really meant when she said “the Eastern Caribbean has not seen a large earthquake since 1843 …….” The link above suggests otherwise.
Yes, you are correct! We remember the earthquake well it went on for 1 minute we had to run out of our home and we watched our home moving it was very scary. I hope this lady is wrong we do not need anything else to happen in Dominica the roads are scary enough without a earth quake.
I remenber the earthquake in November 2007. It was a very long one and of high magnitude, but I think because it was so deep, there was no damage done. It was my first earthquake and it felt like smooth waves in the ocean. No rumbling and nothing was thrown around or broken.
Good observation. I was wondering what size she was talking about when she said 1843. Back in those days the Richter scale did not exist which measure magnitude or energy released. Ritchter scale was developed in 1935. Now an earlier measurement, mercalli measures effect of an earthquake. So you can have a high energy in 7 – 8 on Richter but low on mercalli because of things like depth, formation ( rock or weathered materials) etc. So a high energy does not necessarily mean catastrophic. Tidal waves are influenced by size of sea bed displacement and layout of coast.
Jesus also say he coming soon… and people do not believe. Should we believe the seismologist ? Should we trust their word? why should I? Should you trust what Jesus say. But i tell you the truth many shall perish on that great and fear full day when the Lord and all the Heavenly hosts appears, and it will be a day like today; just an ordinary day.
My word for us is prepare for the great predicted earthquake and do your best to be safe but even more so prepare your soul for your maker, for his coming is like an earthquake that suddenly appears unannounced.
Have a bless day.
Tell jesus to stop torturing us with unpredictable natural disasters and just come back already. Sounds sadistic to me
So long that jesus is coming, what is keeping him back?
Well is now Skeritt need to put passport money aside for rainy days
I have a feeling that this money has disappeared already. We certainly have not seen anything tangible in Dominica that would suggest otherwise.
Wow!
What money, we will have to go to all those secret and personal bank accts to find that money. All those minister rich, rich rich man.