England's World Cup camp was impacted by a record-breaking earthquake just days before their final warm-up game. Thomas Tuchel's side have been based in Florida as they tune up ready to kick-start their tournament, which begins with a game against Croatia on June 17. But on Monday night, the region was hit with an earthquake measuring 6.1 on the Richter scale, which originated off the western coast of Cuba.
Earthquake Tremors Felt Across Florida
Despite being housed more than 150 miles from the epicentre, tremors were felt across Orlando and other parts of Florida. The quake occurred off the west coast of Cuba, sending tremors across Orlando and other parts of Florida. Videos circulating on social media showed buildings shaking due to the tremors, although there have been no reports of injuries or property damage. The National Weather Service has also said there is no danger of a tsunami hitting the United States.
A statement issued on social media read: "We've received several recent reports of shaking across Southwestern Florida within the past 30 minutes. An earthquake has occurred just west of Cuba in the southern Gulf. @USGS_Quakes has since revised the magnitude down to a 6.1 at a depth of 10km."
Tremors Felt in Multiple Cities
In addition to Orlando, tremors were felt in both Miami and Jacksonville, with multiple buildings evacuated for safety after they began shaking. England will take on Costa Rica in Orlando on Wednesday night, before heading to their base for what they hope is the next weeks, in Missouri. Tuchel opted for his side to acclimate in the sweltering Florida heat, with the hope it can have his players ready to go later in the tournament.
He said: "It will be tough, it will be hopefully a long World Cup. It will be a lot of travelling, it will be a lot of adversity, from the heat, from humidity. We had a delay in training already for almost one hour because of lightning. But that's also the task for us, and that's also what we want to achieve, to have an atmosphere where we stay calm, where we stay patient and where we adapt to the circumstances. That's just what it takes, I think, to go through the tournament."
Tuchel's Squad Preparation
Tuchel played two completely different XIs during Saturday night's win over New Zealand in Tampa, but has hinted Wednesday night could be closer to the side that he puts out when the serious stuff starts. England's players enjoyed a rest and recovery day on Sunday, before gearing back up into full training on Monday.
