A powerful 7.7 earthquake struck south of Cuba and Jamaica, the US Geological Survey said.
ADVERTISEMENTA magnitude 7.7 earthquake has between Cuba and Jamaica, according to the US Geological Survey.
The earthquake hit a depth of 10 kilometres, the USGS added.
It struck 125 kilometres from Lucea, Jamaica.
The quake could be felt strongly in Santiago, the largest city in eastern Cuba.
Belkis Guerrero, who works in a Catholic cultural centre in the city said they felt the chairs move but that there was no apparent damage in the heart of the colonial city.
But the head of Cuba's national seismological service said there was no serious damage.
Several buildings in South Florida closed as a precaution according to officials.
The quake was also felt in the Cayman Islands.
Dr Stenette Davis, a psychiatrist at a Cayman Islands hospital, said she had seen manhole covers blown off by the force of the quake, and sewage exploding into the street, but no more serious damage.