NASSAU, Bahamas -The Bahamas is on the Tsunami watch list after a powerful earthquake rocked Haiti Tuesday afternoon.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC), which named several countries on it's Tsunami watch list, said based on past earthquake and tsunami data, a destructive, widespread tsunami was not a threat. 

Nevertheless, the Center named The Bahamas, Haiti, Cuba and The Dominician Republic as countries to watch.

The PTWC estimated that a Tsunami would hit Great Inagua at 5.46pm but warned that estimates may be off.

Click here for full-sized PDF of the Tsunami Safety Rules. 

It reminded the public that a Tsunami is a series of waves and that the initial wave may not be the largest with the delay between waves between five minutes and an hour.

U.S. President Barack Obama says his thoughts were with Haiti and suggested that America may assist with aid. 

In a statement issued today he said the United States is watching the situation is ready to assist Haitians.

A hospital collapsed in the quake and there were reports houses tubmling into a ravine. 

Speaking to the Associated Press from his Washington office, Haiti's ambassador to the U.S., Raymond Joseph, said he spoke to President Rene Preval's chief of staff, Fritz Longchamp, just after the quake hit. The Ambassador said Longchamp told him that "buildings were crumbling right and left" near the national palace. Joseph said he had not been able to get a call through to Haiti since.

With communication difficult, reports of the damage are limited but scientists said such a large quake had the potential for a lot of damage.