Puerto Rico Declares Emergency, Activates National Guard after Earthquakes
2020-01-08
LRC
TXT
大字
小字
滚动
全页
1The governor of Puerto Rico, Wanda Vazquez, has declared a state of emergency and activated the National Guard after several earthquakes hit the Caribbean Island.
2The strongest, measuring a magnitude 6.4, struck Tuesday along the island's southern coast.
3The earthquakes knocked out power and killed at least one person, officials and media reported.
4The U.S. territory is still recovering from two destructive hurricanes in 2017 that killed 3,000 people and destroyed a lot of infrastructure across the island.
5The Puerto Rican government is also dealing with bankruptcy.
6It hopes to reorganize about $120 billion of debt.
7Vazquez became governor seven months ago.
8Large demonstrations pushed former Governor Ricardo Rossello from office.
9After the quakes, Vazquez asked Puerto Ricans to remain calm.
10She wrote on Twitter, "We want everyone to be safe...be with your family, implementing your emergency plans."
11The 6.4-magnitude earthquake on Tuesday struck at a depth of about 10 kilometers along the island's southern coast, The U.S. Geological Survey said.
12The epicenter was near the city of Ponce.
13A 73-year-old man died there after a wall fell on him, the newspaper El Nuevo Dia reported.
14People on social media described the quake as "super strong" and lasting up to 30 seconds.
15It was followed by a number of strong aftershocks, including one with a magnitude of 5.8.
16The effects along the country's southern coast appeared to be major.
17In Ponce, Mayor Mayita Meléndez told WAPA television that hundreds of people were sitting in the streets of the city.
18Many did not want to return home for fear of aftershocks or collapsing buildings.
19A video from WAPA television showed the badly damaged Immaculate Conception church in Guayanilla, about 20 kilometers from Ponce.
20Only half the church was standing.
21At least eight homes collapsed in nearby Yauco, El Nuevo Dia reported.
22Several other earthquakes have struck the island in recent days, including a 5.8-magnitude earthquake Monday.
23That quake knocked down several houses in Guayanilla and Guanica.
24It also destroyed the Window of the Caribbean, a rock formation on a beach that was popular among visitors.
25Jose Ortiz, the chief of the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority reported damage to the Central Costa Sur power plant.
26The power company checked on other stations across the island, and cut off power across the whole island for safety reasons.
27I'm Jonathan Evans.
1The governor of Puerto Rico, Wanda Vazquez, has declared a state of emergency and activated the National Guard after several earthquakes hit the Caribbean Island. The strongest, measuring a magnitude 6.4, struck Tuesday along the island's southern coast. 2The earthquakes knocked out power and killed at least one person, officials and media reported. 3The U.S. territory is still recovering from two destructive hurricanes in 2017 that killed 3,000 people and destroyed a lot of infrastructure across the island. 4The Puerto Rican government is also dealing with bankruptcy. It hopes to reorganize about $120 billion of debt. 5Vazquez became governor seven months ago. Large demonstrations pushed former Governor Ricardo Rossello from office. 6After the quakes, Vazquez asked Puerto Ricans to remain calm. 7She wrote on Twitter, "We want everyone to be safe...be with your family, implementing your emergency plans." 8The 6.4-magnitude earthquake on Tuesday struck at a depth of about 10 kilometers along the island's southern coast, The U.S. Geological Survey said. The epicenter was near the city of Ponce. A 73-year-old man died there after a wall fell on him, the newspaper El Nuevo Dia reported. 9People on social media described the quake as "super strong" and lasting up to 30 seconds. It was followed by a number of strong aftershocks, including one with a magnitude of 5.8. 10The effects along the country's southern coast appeared to be major. 11In Ponce, Mayor Mayita Meléndez told WAPA television that hundreds of people were sitting in the streets of the city. Many did not want to return home for fear of aftershocks or collapsing buildings. 12A video from WAPA television showed the badly damaged Immaculate Conception church in Guayanilla, about 20 kilometers from Ponce. Only half the church was standing. At least eight homes collapsed in nearby Yauco, El Nuevo Dia reported. 13Several other earthquakes have struck the island in recent days, including a 5.8-magnitude earthquake Monday. That quake knocked down several houses in Guayanilla and Guanica. It also destroyed the Window of the Caribbean, a rock formation on a beach that was popular among visitors. 14Jose Ortiz, the chief of the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority reported damage to the Central Costa Sur power plant. The power company checked on other stations across the island, and cut off power across the whole island for safety reasons. 15I'm Jonathan Evans. 16The Associated Press and the Reuters News Agency reported this story. Susan Shand adapted it for VOA Learning English. Ashley Thompson was the editor. 17Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. 18_____________________________________________________________ 19Words in This Story 20magnitude - n. : the size, extent, or importance of something 21hurricane - n. an extremely large, powerful, and destructive storm 22infrastructure - n. the basic equipment and structures (such as roads and bridges) that are needed for a country, region, or organization to function properly 23aftershock - n. a smaller earthquake that occurs after a larger one 24implement - v. to put in place