Cape Coral woman can't reach family in Cuba after earthquake

CAPE CORAL, Fla. (WINK) — A 6.1 magnitude earthquake struck northwest of Cuba, and some Southwest Florida residents with family on the island are struggling to make contact more than 24 hours later.

Jackie Figueroa of Cape Coral said her family has been unable to reach her elderly aunt in Havana since the earthquake. Communication challenges have left them worried and uncertain about her safety.

"As of now, my mom is trying to call my aunt, and it's ringing, and no one is answering," Figueroa said.

The stress of not knowing has been overwhelming for Figueroa and her family. They want to help but feel powerless from so far away.

"It's really stressful," Figueroa said. "You just think about your family and about all the things they're going through, and they want to help them all, but you cannot."

Figueroa said homes in Cuba were already deteriorating before the earthquake, and communication with the island was difficult even under normal circumstances. She said the country's governmental power struggles have only made the situation worse.

"There's no food, there's no electricity, there's nothing," Figueroa said. "Houses are falling apart, buildings are falling apart, you know, they just go through it and hope that nothing happens to them." 

Another Southwest Florida resident, Paulina, emailed WINK News saying her cousin near Havana had never experienced anything like the earthquake before. Figueroa noted the quake's intensity, pointing out that even government buildings in Florida cities felt the tremors.

“Downtown Miami, it shook one of the buildings, the government, government building, Tampa, Orlando," Figueroa said. "So, imagine in Cuba."