No tsunami threat after 4.0 earthquake off Kaʻū Coast of the Big Island
There is no tsunami expected after a preliminary magnitude 4.0 earthquake reported at 9:38 a.m. on Tuesday, May 20, 2025 off the Kaʻū Coast of the Big Island. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued an information statement saying there is no tsunami expected, however some areas may have experienced shaking.
Scientists with the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory say this earthquake is part of the seismic swarm under the Pāhala area, which has been going on since 2019. According to the HVO, earthquakes in this region have been observed at least as far back as the 1960s.
The USGS reports the distance and direction from the epicenter to nearby places includes the following:
- Pāhala, Hawaiʻi (11.3 miles) NW
- Hawaiian Paradise Park, Hawaiʻi (43.7 miles) NE
- Hilo, Hawaiʻi (48.3 miles) NNE
- Kailua-Kona, Hawaiʻi (56.7 miles) NW
- Honolulu, Hawaiʻi (223.4 miles) NW
Initial responses to the USGS “Did You Feel It?” website shows felt reports coming from Kaʻawaloa (Captain Cook), Laupāhoehoe, Nāʻālehu, Hilo and Pāhoa on Hawaiʻi Island.
The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory issued a statement saying the earthquake had no apparent impact on either Mauna Loa or Kīlauea volcanoes.
The quake was located 11 miles southeast of Pāhala, Island of Hawaiʻi and occurred at a depth of 20 miles below sea level , according to the HVO.
“Aftershocks are possible in the coming days to weeks ,” the HVO reports.
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