Unexpected early morning seismic alarm clock jolts Big Island awake on Election Day

“Everyone awake?” asked Michael Pusch at 1:44 a.m. of his fellow members in the Ocean View Hawai‘i Community Bulletin Board group on Facebook.

Nearly 20 people, several within minutes to an hour of Pusch’s post, replied after the Big Island was jolted by an unexpected early morning Election Day seismic alarm clock.

Hundreds more commented on additional posts that lit up social media just minutes after what one called a “good earth shake.”

A magnitude-4.8 earthquake struck the island at 1:42 a.m. today, 3 miles southwest of Pāhala, on the southeastern flank of Mauna Loa, at a depth of 24 miles below sea level.

“This earthquake is part of the ongoing swarm of deep seismicity that has been occurring beneath the Pāhala area since 2019,” reported the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory.

It had no impact on either Mauna Loa or Kīlauea volcanoes.

More than 190 “Felt Reports” came in to the U.S. Geological Survey within the first 30 minutes after the quake, with just more than 750 by about 12:15 p.m. today.

The quake was felt around the entire Big Island, with scattered reports as far as Oʻahu.

Most “Felt Reports” came from the Kailua-Kona, Nāʻālehu and Volcano areas, with 98, 97 and 96 reports from each area, respectively. There were 64 reports made from the Captain Cook area, and the Waimea area rounded out the top 5 with 48 “Felt Reports.”

Based on those reports and instrument readings, the temblor’s intensity was moderate, but no damage to buildings or infrastructure was expected.

Aftershocks are possible in the coming days and weeks.

“I’m awake now lol,” replied Saucy Saylor to Pusch’s question, about 8 minutes after the earthquake struck.

Pete Cogswell gave in and admitted he might as well put on the coffee, with Donna Vaught-mello replying shortly after that she already did, too.

It wasn’t just people the quake jostled awake either.

“It woke the dog and cat up,” commented Noel Cielo on another post in the same Facebook group. “They came running into the living room.”

Raisa Mukha said the quake definitely woke her up: “It was shaking and some stuff bouncing.”

“That was a huge jolt, not just a rumble,” Pusch replied to another commenter.

While many around the island and across the posts were aroused from their slumber by the untimely tremor, others either didn’t feel it or slept through it.

Amy Kivuyo did get woken up, but commented on Pusch’s post that another in her household seemingly slept like a baby: “Figures my 13-year-old did not wake up.”

Adam Proffichols commented he slept just fine, it was “just the island moving!” Ivy Cheek replied somehow she slept through it, too.

Deirdre Kent did the same thing, commenting on another post in a different Facebook group that all the heavy rain that super soaked windward areas of the island throughout Monday wore her out.

“It was a friendly reminder to get up and vote,” commented Amelia Haslam on a post in another Facebook group, referring to today being the 2024 general election. “Didn’t feel it though.”

If you felt the earthquake, report it to the U.S. Geological Survey online.