Double Trouble: Underwater earthquake reported as Tropical Storm Fernand approaches Mexican coast

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Authorities preparing for the arrival of Tropical Storm Fernand in northeastern Mexico reported that an that an underwater earthquake hit in the Gulf of Mexico about 65 miles southeast of the border city of Matamoros.

Tropical Storm Fernand is already producing rain on both sides of the border but is expected to make landfall near La Pesca, Tamaulipas around 7 p.m. Wednesday, the National Hurricane Center reported.

Just as Fernand was gathering strength, the National Seismology Institute of Mexico reported that a 4.0-magnitude earthquake hit southeast of Matamoros at 8:04 a.m. Tuesday == roughly 15 miles below the floor of the Gulf of Mexico.

No injuries and damages were reported with the earthquake, Tamaulipas Civil Protection officials said in a tweet.

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Tamaulipas state officials told the Houston Chronicle that the earthquake quake did not trigger a tsunami warning and did not result in a larger than normal waves.

The tremor did not immediately appear on the U.S. Geololgical Survey worldwide earthquakes listing.

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Earthquakes are very rare in that area of the Gulf of Mexico but have been known to happen.

A 3.0-magnitude underwater earthquake was recorded about 64 miles east of South Padre Island in December 2017 while a 3.9-magnitude underwater earthquake was recorded about 50 miles east of Matamoros in November 2017.

Two other earthquakes were reported in the deeper waters of the gulf in 2002 and 1998.

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