Magnitude-5.7 earthquake shakes Big Island of Hawaii
A magnitude-5.7 earthquake hit the Big Island of Hawaii at around 10 a.m. local time, with its epicenter located 11 miles south of Naalehu. The quake, occurring at a depth of 6 miles, caused shaking that reached about 200 miles away in Honolulu, Oahu. Despite the tremors, no tsunami warning was issued by the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center. Some aftershocks were felt in the vicinity following the initial quake. Thankfully, there have been no immediate reports of major damage.
Big Island Mayor Mitch Roth, who happened to be in Honolulu for a cardiologist appointment, described feeling dizzy initially during the earthquake. Initially attributing it to the medical procedure, he soon realized it was indeed an earthquake. Roth promptly contacted his emergency management officials once he recognized the situation.
“We’ll probably start hearing about damage in the next hour to an hour,” Mayor Roth commented, acknowledging the substantial size of the earthquake and reassuring that there is no tsunami threat based on current information.
Roth mentioned his plan to head to the Honolulu airport to try securing an earlier flight back to the Big Island.
Julia Neal, owner of Pahala Plantation Cottages, reported that a mirror and brass lamp fell due to forceful shaking. She noted the rattling of the old wooden plantation homes during the quake.
Derek Nelson, manager of the Kona Canoe Club restaurant in Kona Inn Shopping Village, stated that the earthquake was strongly felt but caused no damage. He described how it shook the village’s windows and rattled some knees but left structures intact.