Earthquake Shakes Guantanamo Bay, No Damage to U.S. Base

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – The U.S. military said Tuesday that Guantanamo Bay was rocked by a moderate earthquake a day earlier.

The magnitude-4.4 tremor occurred at 9:09 a.m. EST and was centered about 35 miles southeast of the base in the southeast corner of Cuba, the Navy said.

Base spokesman Bruce Lloyd said the two-story headquarters building, Bulkeley Hall, shook for several seconds when the earthquake struck.

"We thought a truck had hit the building, a good size truck," Lloyd told The Associated Press.

There was no significant damage to any buildings on the base, according to Cmdr. Sylvester Moore, the executive officer of the Navy base.

Earthquakes are not unusual in the Caribbean, though this was the first felt at Guantanamo this year, the Navy said.