Updated with more teams confirmed to have been in Puerto Rico this week.
At least 27 mainland-American collegiate teams were in Ponce, Puerto Rico on winter training trips this week when a 6.4-magnitude earthquake struck just off the coast of the south-Puerto Rico city.
The earthquake was the biggest of a series that included a 5.6 earthquake 10 minutes later and at least 7 others rated 4.5-or-higher that hit over the next several hours. The tremors, which began on Monday, left most of the island without electricity, which continued for most of the island into Thursday. The earthquakes were the island’s strongest since 1918, when the San Fermin earthquake (7.1-magnitude) killed around 100 people.
While no injuries have been reported among the swimming teams, several buildings were leveled in the southern part of the island, leaving 300 people homeless and at least 1 man dead. Officials have said that there is no tsunami threat.
Some of the hotels in which the athletes were staying were able to restore power quickly using backup generators. At least 1 of the 6 teams, University of the South, was scheduled to leave on Tuesday and caught their flight out. Other teams that were scheduled to stay longer also attempted to leave on Tuesday. At least one team, Providence College, changed locations from Ponce on the island’s southern edge where the earthquake hit to Vega Baja on the island’s northern coast.
Below is a list of known college swim teams that were scheduled to be in Puerto Rico this week, some in San Juan and some in Ponce.
- Skidmore
- RPI
- University of the South
- Smith College
- SUNY Oneonta
- Bryn Mawr
- Georgetown
- Providence College
- Harvard women
- American University
- Trinity (Connecticut)
- Wesleyan
- Yale
- TCU
- Allegheny College
- Cornell
- Stevens Institute of Technology
- Toledo
- Loyola Maryland
- UMass
- College of Saint Rose
- Arcadia
- Clark University
- University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point
- Drew University
- Nazareth College
- UW-Eau Claire
The annual Copa Coqui meet in San Juan among collegiate teams happened on Sunday. The meet included 5 teams from the U.S. and Puerto Rico competing in 8 events. Full results are available here.
The satellite imagery below shows the extent of the power outages in Puerto Rico. Ponce, the island’s second-largest municipality where many teams were based, is the cluster of lights on the southern edge of the island. San Juan is the bright spot on the norhtern edge.
NASA imagery of Puerto Rico on January 7th before earthquakes.
NASA imagery of Puerto Rico on January 9th after earthquakes.
Goucher College was there as well in Ponce
Oh, no! Praying that they’re all OK.
Eau Claire is there too
University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point Men’s & Women’s teams arrived on Sunday, also experienced the earthquakes, they are all safe!
Glad to hear it!
The Marriot by San Juan airport, on North side 60 miles from epicenter, lost power for hours and the kids woke up in the middle of the night to their rooms shaking. No electricity outside of the hotel, meaning pools were shut down. Kids had to swim in un-chlorinated pools. Not a great experience. As a swimmer there said, it was a s——t show.
the Marriot lost power 2 hours…I’ve had worse experiences in over and under-chlorinated pools in the States.
Drew University was in Ponce as well
Add Nazareth College (Rochester, NY) to your list! They are in San Juan
Nazareth College was present on the island as well.