5.7 magnitude earthquake shakes Hawaii’s Big Island

February 9, 2024

U.S.

By Brandon Downs

Updated on: February 9, 2024 / 8:07 PM EST
/ CBS Sacramento

Hawaii’s Big Island rattled by preliminary 5.7 magnitude earthquake

HAWAII – A 5.7 magnitude earthquake shook the Big Island of Hawaii Friday afternoon.

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) reports that the earthquake was centered southwest of Pahala at 12:06 p.m. PST. The exact coordinates are 19.188°N 155.493°W and 23 miles below sea level.

Aftershocks have been reported in the same area and the USGS said aftershocks are possible in the coming days to weeks.

The Office of the Governor of Hawaii posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, that no tsunami is expected.

The USGS Interactive Map shows some shaking could be felt in the northeast town of Kailua-Kona, about a 71-mile drive from Pahala. The USGS said it received reports that the earthquake could be felt more than 280 miles away within the first hour, including in Maui and parts of O’ahu.

No damage was expected to buildings based on the earthquake’s intensity. It doesn’t appear the earthquake had any impacts on Mauna Loa or Kīlauea volcanoes.

“This earthquake is likely associated with lithospheric flexure caused by the weight of the Hawaiian Islands on the oceanic lithosphere,” the USGS said in a statement.

Pahala is located on the southwestern point of the Big Island, near Hawaii Volcanoes National Park Kahuku Unit. It had a population of about 2,203 people in 2020.