Eastern Caribbean Earthquake
The end of the 2007 Hurricane Season brings a 7.4 earthquake!
I've held off blogging about the recent earthquake off the coast of Martinique on Nov 29th due to conflicting information about the damage on Martinique, Barbados and other neighboring islands.
The Martinique promotion bureau originally reported that there was no damage, however other reports conflicted that report - along with reports from other neighboring islands. One fact that cannot be debated is this was an enormous earthquake that was felt throughout the entire Eastern Caribbean region to Puerto Rico and also on St Maarten/St Martin - Linda 
A 7.4 magnitude earthquake struck off the French island of Martinique (pictured), causing damage to buildings and there are reports of a least one death on the island. The center of the quake was 14 miles north-west of the islands coastline.
Martinique tourism officials report that the island's airport and hotels were "unscathed" by the quake; however, there was structural damage reported on the island - including the collapse of at least one building and a bank - and phone and electrical services were knocked out in some areas.
At least six aftershocks have been reported in and around Martinique since the quake hit the island on Thursday. Approximately 100 people on the island were treated for minor injuries.
Even though the quake's center was over 200 miles from the island of Barbados, the island did feel the tremors.
ABC news reported that several buildings were destroyed in the capital of Bridgetown, however other reports state this information is false. Unfortunately one woman was trampled as people frantically tired to exit a building in the capital city. ABC news also reported that the chief of emergency services was hurt during a rescue attempt according the local police reports. It has been confirmed that one house on Barbados did collapse from the tremors.
There are reports that range from minor to serious structural damage on the islands of St Lucia, St Vincent, Dominica and Guadeloupe, and perhaps by Monday, more detailed and accurate reports will be given.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii said the depth of the quake, at 90 miles, was too deep to generate a destructive tsunami. And scientists at the Seismic Research Unit at the University of the West Indies, in Trinidad, said the quake was the second strongest since the unit began monitoring the Caribbean tectonic plate in 1952.
Notes from the Margin blog has pictures, and regional info
AFP News - Powerful quake shakes Caribbean, one dead
Linda Thompkins
in caribbean earthquake
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We found out about it because Capt. Jason of the Shasa recieved a phone call from his wife on his cell phone telling him there had been an earthquake that had lasted over one minute. We waited in deep waters to make sure of no tsumani and then went ashore a bit later. When we got on land our taxi was waiting to bring us back to the port but we had to go a different route due to a crane that had fallen in the road. We didn't see any structures that were damaged but that isn't to say that it didn't happen. People were really shook up! As we got closer to Port all the buildings employees were outside. When we got to the gates of the port our taxi was not allowed in and we had to get out, show our papers to get back on the ship and then start walking back to the ship. It wasn't that long of a walk but as I said, you could see that people were shook up. You could see in their faces that they had experienced something they had never experienced before.
I'm just so surprised how this made NO NEWS in the US!! When I got back to the Serenade of the Seas ship I called my parents to let them know that when they saw this on the news they should know that I was ok. To my surprise they never even heard about it! Makes me wonder about what else I don't hear about!
Good luck.