A 5.8-magnitude quake hit Puerto Rico before dawn Monday, unleashing small landslides, causing power outages and severely damaging some homes.
It was one of the strongest quakes yet to hit the U.S. territory that has been shaking for the past week.
There were no immediate reports of casualties.
Silvestre Alicea, a 66-year-old, who lost his home, said he took off as soon as he felt the tremor.
“I was able to get out of the house. The inside is fine. The only thing that fell was the column,” he said.
Another quake measured at magnitude 5.1 struck later Monday, at 10:51 a.m. (1451 GMT), shaking power lines and frightening residents of southern Puerto Rico who had been waiting outside their homes due to fears the buildings were damaged and unstable.
The first quake struck at 6:32 a.m. (1032 GMT) just south of the island.
Governor Wanda Vazquez activated security measures on the island and said all public sector offices would remain closed on Tuesday while emergency plans are implemented.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center reported a small tsunami measuring around 0.02 Meters.
The first and biggest quake, of magnitude 6.5, struck at a depth of six miles near Ponce on the island’s southern coast, the U.S. Geological survey said.
Newspaper el Nuevo Dia reported a 73-year-old died there after a wall fell on him.
Puerto Rico has been hit by several earthquakes in the past two weeks.
In a message on twitter, Puerto Rico’s Governor Vazquez urged citizens to remain calm.
According to the National Tsunami Warning Center, no tsunami is expected, but there could be more aftershocks on the way.
