Global Voices Online

Last night passed rather uneventfully in the Caribbean - there were no reports of strong aftershocks from yesterday's earthquake as had been anticipated - but bloggers were still busy posting updates from their individual territories…

Uncle Sam's Cabin linked to mainstream media updates about the effects of the tremors in Martinique, the island closest to the ‘quake's epicenter, while Notes From The Margin linked to an online article that provided “a good summary of the damage”.

Barbados Free Press was concerned that “the controversial Barbados Greenland Dump construction site was damaged during Thursday’s lengthy earthquake” and Living in Barbados feared that many of today's Independence celebrations on the island may be canceled:

I suspect that many will not want to venture to the beach, fearing a tsunami. Let's hope that it does not arrive. The PM was due to have an independence reception tonight, but so far no word if it will go ahead.

Steve's Dominica, the first blog to report on the initial tremors, posted a tectonic summary from the U.S. Geological Survey office, while further south, ttgapers.com reported that “in Trinidad, none of the valuable oil fields or oil and gas refineries were affected.”

Blogging from St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Abeni writes:

Living under the shadow of La Soufriere meant almost everyone feared the mountain was awaking from its slumber.

Living Dominica was amazed at how “the trees trembled”, but she also found it “interesting how strongly felt this quake was in St Maarten.”

Ishie, a medical student in Grenada, writes:

Through the grapevine, apparently Martinique got hit by a pretty significant (in the 7s) earthquake, so we got the ripple effect, thus giving students from all over the world a little taste of it.

Guyana-Gyal, who felt the rumblings all the way on the South American mainland, as always tries to put an optimistic spin on a distressing situation:

I know this rumbling from the real thing I experience plenty times in the Caribbean Island. This trembling was eerie. No sound. Just silence and trembling. Thank you Santa, you big, clumsy oaf, leggoing…letting go of…a load somewhere, shaking up the land before Chrismus.