Cayman Islands Hit by 5.8 Magnitude Earthquake

[Paddy by Grace]

500 miles West of Haiti!!!

www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474978003057&grpId=3659174697244816&nav=Groupspace

The Cayman Islands were shaken up this morning as a 5.8 magnitude earthquake hit at 9:23 a.m.. The Cayman Islands are located just south of Cuba and a little over 500 miles west of Haiti, in which it has been one week ago the devastating earthquake hit.

There have been no major damages reported from the Cayman Islands earthquake. Buildings shook and phone lines were down. Buildings are coded to be built in order to withstand earthquakes and hurricane forces.

Though there have been no casualties reported so far, people have reason to be on edge considering Haiti’s earthquake last week, and Guatemala was hit by an earthquake on Monday, magnitude of 6.0. No major damage or injuries in Guatemala either.

[Paddy by Grace]

If you look at the lower, left-hand map of Grand Cayman, at the n.w. point of the island you will see the word "Hell". This intrigued me so I dug into it and here's what I found...

All of the rock in Grand Cayman is sedimentary (limestone). Over many centuries of weathering, in some areas the limestone has been etched into very sharp jagged rocks and baked into a ceramic-like hardness with a light to dark gray surface color making it look volcanic, but it isn't. In places it is so hard that when struck it rings like a bell. A particularly striking example of all that is a small patch located in the heart of the West Bay district. It is jokingly referred to by islanders as Hell. The area offers merchandise "from Hell". Visitors can have their postcards and mail postmarked from Hell, and even get their passports stamped in Hell.

Why do people and countries do this to themselves? Why possibly invite the wrath of God if there is no need? Duh!

Paddy