A magnitude 7.2 earthquake hit Haiti early Saturday morning, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
The earthquake's epicenter struck 7.5 miles from Saint-Louis du Sud, a small coastal town in western Haiti that is about 100 miles from Port-au-Prince, the Haiti's capital.
"High casualties are probable and the disaster is likely widespread," according to USGS. "Past events with this alert level have required a national or international level response."
No tsunami warning for the U.S. Atlantic or Gulf coasts was issued after the quake, according to the U.S. Tsunami Warning System. Waves up to about 10 feet were predicted for some coastlines in Haiti.
People in Port-au-Prince rushed into the streets in fear after feeling the quake, according to the Associated Press.
The country is still recovering from a devastating magnitude 7 earthquake in 2010 that killed an estimated 300,000 people and left many more homeless. More recently, a magnitude 5.9 earthquake in 2018 left more than a dozen people dead.
Naomi Verneus, a 34-year-old Port-au-Prince resident, said she was jolted awake when her bed started shaking.
“I woke up and didn’t have time to put my shoes on," she said. "We lived the 2010 earthquake and all I could do was run."
Contributing: The Associated Press
Contact News Now Reporter Christine Fernando at [email protected] or follow her on Twitter at @christinetfern.
