No Tsunami Threat to Hawai‘i After 7.7 Earthquake SE of Loyalty Islands

Update: 11:33 a.m. 2.10.21

There is no tsunami threat to Hawaiʻi following a second large earthquake reported in the area southeast of the Loyalty Islands. This additional earthquake was measured at a preliminary magnitude of 6.7 at 11:24 a.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2021.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center reports that “based on all available data, a destructive Pacific-wide tsunami is not expected and there is no tsunami threat to Hawaiʻi.” The PTWC says this will be the only statement issued for the event, unless additional data are received.

Update: 8:34 a.m. 2.10.21

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center reports that the tsunami threat has now largely passed for areas that were located closer to the earthquake. Hawaiʻi was cleared of any threat early this morning.

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The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center says there is no tsunami threat to Hawaiʻi following a 7.7 magnitude earthquake reported at 3:20 a.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2021 southeast of Loyalty Islands.

“Based on all available data, a destructive Pacific-wide tsunami is not expected and there is no threat to Hawaiʻi,” the PTWC advised in a statement issued at 4:35 a.m.

The USGS reports that the earthquake occurred at a depth of 20 miles and was located:

1. 257.1 mi W of Vao, South Province, New Caledonia
2. 293 mi NNW of Isangel, Tafea, Vanuatu
3. 314.8 mi WNW of Wé, Loyalty Islands, New Caledonia
4. 320.8 mi WNW of Mont-Dore, South Province, New Caledonia
5. 328 mi W of Nouméa, South Province, New Caledonia

While there is no threat for Hawaiʻi at this time, hazardous tsunami waves are forecast for some coasts closer to the quake.

The PTWC issued an update at 4:51 a.m. indicating that tsunami waves reaching 0.3 to 1 meter (0.98 to 3.28 feet) above the tide level are possible for some coasts of Fiji, New Zealand and Vanuatu.

Tsunami waves are forecast to be less than 0.3 meters (0.98 feet) above the tide level for the coasts o: American Samoa, Australia, Chuuk, Cook Islands, French Polynesia, Howland and Baker, Jarvis Island, Kermadec Islands, Kiribati, Kosrae, Marshall Islands, Nauru, New Caledonia, Niue, Palmyra Island, Papua New Guinea, Pohnpei, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu and Wallis and Futuna.

Estimated times of arrival of the initial tsunami wave for places within threatened regions are given below. Actual arrival times may differ and the initial wave may not be the largest. A tsunami is a series of waves and the time between waves can be five minutes to one hour.