Magnitude-6.2 Quake Rocks Big Island

A magnitude-6.2 earthquake struck off the Ka´ū coast late Sunday morning.

The event began at 11:49 am, approximately 17 miles south of Na´alehu, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS). It occurred at a depth of approximately 21 miles.

At 11:52 am, the National Weather Service Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued a report that no tsunami is expected as a result of the quake, though many areas likely experienced strong shaking. The USGS shake map identifies regions on the Big Island where shaking was felt and documents its reported intensity.

The initial event was followed by two smaller earthquakes in the same vicinity — an M-4.3 located roughly 13 miles SSE of Na´aleahu, and an M-3.1 located roughly 12.5 miles SSE of Na´alehu.

They occurred at 11:53 am and 11:59 am, respectively.

UPDATE, 1:19 PM HST: Seismic activity continued Sunday afternoon, as seven more earthquakes were recorded off the Ka´ū coast between noon and 1 pm. They all struck in the same general area SSE of Na´alehu. All seven quakes registered somewhere between an M-2.6 and an M-3.3.

Strong shaking, with a maximum Intensity of VI, has been reported across the Hawai‘i Island, and throughout the Hawaiian Islands, according to the USGS Hawaii Volcanoes Observatory. At that intensity, very slight damage to buildings or structures may have occurred.

The USGS “Did you feel it?” service (http://earthquake.usgs.gov/dyfi/) received over 1,300 felt reports within one hour of the earthquake.