Jean! GUYK! Did you feel the earth move?

Sep 10, 1:26 PM EDT

Strong earthquake shakes Gulf of Mexico; no damage reported

By PHIL DAVIS Associated Press Writer

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) -- A strong magnitude 6.0 earthquake in the Gulf of Mexico on Sunday sent shockwaves from Louisiana to southwest Florida, but no damage was reported, the U.S. Geological Survey said.

The earthquake, centered about 260 miles southwest of Tampa, was too small to trigger tsunami danger, the agency said. The USGS received almost 1,500 reports from people as far away as North Carolina who felt the 10:56 a.m. temblor.

"This is a fairly unique event. There is no danger," said Don Blakeman, an earthquake analyst with the National Earthquake Information Center. "I wouldn't expect any substantial damage, but it is possible there will be some minor damage."

Florida counties along the gulf called the state emergency operations center with reports of tremors, but no significant damage was reported, spokesman Mike Stone said. Gov. Jeb Bush was informed of the situation, Stone said.

Although the earthquake was classified as unusually strong, it was not powerful enough to generate a tsunami or other dangerous wave activity, Blakeman said.
The epicenter is an unusual location for earthquake activity, but scientists recorded a magnitude 5.2 temblor in the same location on Feb. 10.

"Technically, it's not Florida," Blakeman said. "It's out in the Gulf of Mexico. This kind of occurrence is unusual in that spot, especially for an earthquake of this size."

The most prevalent vibration, which last for about 20 seconds, was felt on the gulf coast of Florida and in southern Georgia, Blakeman said. But residents in Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana also called in reports.
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On the Net:
U.S. Geological Survey: http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/recenteqsus/Quakes/usslav.php
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