HONAUNAU (HawaiiNewsNow) – No tsunami is expected following a magnitude 6.0 earthquake that occurred about seven miles to the east-southeast of Honaunau in the South Kona area of Hawaii Island.
According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the earthquake occurred at 9:46 p.m. It was centered about 3.7 miles east-southeast of the Honaunau-Napoopoo area along the western flank of Mauna Loa, at a depth of 14 miles.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said no tsunami was generated by the earthquake.
A second, weaker magnitude 3.2 earthquake occurred six minutes later, just to the northwest of the first about 13 miles beneath the surface.
According to the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, the earthquakes were not directly related to volcanic activity.
“The depth, location, and recorded seismic waves of the earthquake suggest that it was caused by stress due to bending of the oceanic plate from the weight of the Hawaiian island chain,” HVO said in a statement.
The USGS also said there have been several more aftershocks, but smaller than magnitude 3. More aftershocks will be possible in the coming days but are unlikely to be large enough to be felt or cause damage.
The HVO also said more than 2,500 residents and visitors submitted “felt” reports to the USGS website for the event by 11 p.m. Friday. That number grew to more than 5,800 responses by 2 a.m. Saturday.
Former Hawaii News Now reporter Lacy Deniz described the violent shaking and damage inside her home in Honaunau on Hawaii Island “like something out of a movie.”
“It was quite terrifying. It was very violent,” Deniz said. “Our house was literally shaking from side to side, and I think the scary part was the duration too. It lasted for quite a long time.”
Deniz said the shaking was so strong, her mother had to shield her young son as glass came out of cabinets and fell to the floor.
“Thank goodness my mom was here,” she said. “My son was crawling on the floor, so my mom had to stand over my son and shield him because all the glass was coming out of the cabinets and falling on the floor. So she literally was getting hit by all of our dishes and trying to protect my son.”
Deniz said she and her family ran out of the home and, aside from some cuts, no one was seriously hurt. But walking through the house, the damage was significant.
“Everything is on the floor. Glass is broken, all of our cabinets are open, our toilet cracked, armoire with our clothes, shelves, drawers, it just, it’s on its side and just toppled over,” she said.
Hawaii News Now received reports of strong shaking felt across the state as far away as Omao and Hanalei on the island of Kauai.
Residents also reported strong shaking on Oahu in Kailua, Ewa Beach and Kapolei, and HNN received calls from Makawao and Wailuku on Maui.
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