6.2-magnitude quake centered off Hawaii Island rattles state; no tsunami threat

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - A 6.2-magnitude earthquake centered about 17 miles off Hawaii Island rattled residents as far as Kauai on Sunday, but officials said there were no immediate reports of damage.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake was likely the result of “bending of the oceanic plate” from the weight of the Hawaiian Island chain. The tremor did not have an impact on the ongoing Kilauea eruption.

And there was no tsunami threat from the temblor.

USGS said the quake occurred at 11:48 a.m. off Naalehu at a depth of 22 miles.

Residents across the state reported feeling shaking.

There were several reports of moderate to strong shaking in the South Kona and Kau districts of Hawaii Island while several residents on Kauai said they felt light shaking.

“We’ve only been here a year and most of them were like really quick before and just a little jolt, but this one definitely felt like more of an impact. I mean, things made a lot more noise. But windows shook Yeah, and it lasted a lot longer too,” said Kailua-Kona resident Chris Jackson.

“It was like a boom,” said Greg Porter of Kailua-Kona. “It’s like somebody picked up our island and just dropped it, it wasn’t like a rumble.”

“I was standing out here watching everyone board and it felt like a ripple underneath my feet, and I felt it twice,” said Angela Reich, a Hawaiian Airlines worker at the Kona International Airport.

Residents from Waikiki as well as in west Oahu also felt the quake.

“The house started shaking which is unusual,” said Laie resident Barney Wilson. “I felt in the past I felt earthquakes before from the Big Island but just a very mild rumble. This is more of a natural shaking of the house.”

“I felt some small shaking in Waianae,” Megg Ryan wrote on Facebook.

Ken Hon, scientist-in-charge at Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, said there was no change to the ongoing Kilauea eruption following the quake. “Webcams and other data streams show no impact on the ongoing eruption at Kilauea except for a few minor rockfalls reported within Halemaumau Crater,” he said.

At least six aftershocks were reported almost immediately following the initial earthquake. The strongest was a magnitude-4.3 temblor that occurred just five minutes after the first quake.

The USGS says because it’s a larger earthquake, they’re expecting aftershocks to continue through about three days.

The state Department of Transportation said there was no damage to any airports, harbors or highways on Hawaii Island.

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