A 5.8-magnitude earthquake struck off the Cayman Islands on Tuesday, but no damage or injuries were reported.
The quake was centered in the Caribbean Sea about 40 miles east-southeast of the capital, George Town, and had a depth of 6 miles, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
The government fielded about 100 emergency calls from islanders, some of whom evacuated buildings and wondered if it was safe to go back inside, said Emergency Communications Center manager Brent Finster.
The earthquake also slightly disrupted phone service.
In the Turks and Caicos Islands, 560 miles to the northeast, scores of parents worried about a possible tsunami rushed to pick their children up from schools, officials said.
Despite assurances that there was no threat of a tsunami, some Haitian parents insisted on taking their children home, saying they had already lost loved ones in last week's 7.0-magnitude earthquake that killed an estimated 200,000 people in Haiti.
"I hear that there is an earthquake threat, and I am not leaving here until I get my children," said Sonson Jean, who has two sons attending a local high school.
Click here for more information from the U.S. Geological Survey.
Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox