QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 5.3ml

Earthquake near Kalaoa, HI

No earthquake was likely felt in Kalaoa in the 24 hours to 7:38 pm HST (05:38 UTC). The last one was M 2.9, 5 km (3 mi) NE, at 12:08 pm HST on 6 November 2026, estimated intensity III (weak) in town; 29 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near Kalaoa

This page: a magnitude 5.3 earthquake was recorded 20 km (12 mi) east of Kalaoa, HI, at 5:09 pm HST on 13 April 2019 (03:09 UTC), 13 km deep. 1,986 people have reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 20 km E of Kalaoa, Hawaii

5:09 pm HST, Apr 13, 2019 · · 13 km deep · released about 1.5 kilotons of TNT

Every earthquake near Kalaoa Felt it? Tell USGS Check my area
10 km30 km60 km120 km N Hawaii County 34 km
Distance rings around the epicentre, with the nearest towns at their true direction and later quakes as coloured dots. Not a shaking map — see the USGS ShakeMap for that.
When
5:09 pm HST on 13 April 2019 ()
Where
20 km (12 mi) east of Kalaoa, HI · earthquakes near Kalaoa
Hawaii today
every earthquake in Hawaii in the last 24 hours
Magnitude
M 5.3 (ml)
Depth
13 km below the surface
Felt
1,986 reports · strongest reported intensity V
Measured shaking
intensity VII (ShakeMap)
USGS impact alert
green
Nearest
Hawaii County, 34 km ESE
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 327 days ago

This was a moderate earthquake. Shaking at this size can damage poorly built structures close to the epicentre.

At this magnitude and depth, people at rest would likely notice it out to about 237 km (147 mi) from the epicentre. In Kalaoa, 20 km away, the estimate is intensity IV (light). Estimated from magnitude, depth and distance with the intensity equation USGS Did You Feel It? uses; felt reports, where there are any, are the measurement.

Likely felt in: Hōlualoa 21 km, intensity IV · Waikoloa 22 km, intensity IV · Kailua-Kona 25 km, intensity IV · Captain Cook 31 km, intensity IV · Honaunau-Napoopoo 33 km, intensity IV · Waimea 34 km, intensity IV. Estimated for each town centre; each link is that town's own record.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 1.5 kilotons of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 6.3 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Northridge, California 1994 M 6.7 110× the energy of this one
  2. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 4.9× the energy of this one
  3. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 3.5× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 5.3 about 1.5 kilotons of TNT
  5. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 this one released 3,200× more

Energy from the Gutenberg–Richter relation (log10E = 1.5M + 4.8), rounded to two figures; bar length is magnitude, which is already a logarithm of energy. Magnitudes of past earthquakes from the USGS catalogue.

For this area

The largest earthquake within 50 km (31 mi) since our catalogue begins in 2016. No other earthquake of M4 or more has been recorded this close in that time.

Before 2016, the USGS record lists 9 earthquakes of M5 or more within 50 km; the five largest:

  1. 6.7 14 km SW of Puako, Hawaii · 21 km NW of this epicentre
  2. 6.5 Hualālai area, Hawaii · 22 km W of this epicentre
  3. 6.0 20 km SW of Hawi, Hawaii · 47 km NNW of this epicentre
  4. 5.6 3 km NW of Kalaoa, Hawaii · 22 km W of this epicentre
  5. 5.6 30 km WNW of Volcano, Hawaii · 38 km SE of this epicentre

Since 2016: the QuakeIndex catalogue (US, M1.5+), built from the USGS FDSN event service. Before 2016: USGS ComCat, M5+ from 1900. Distances are between epicentres. This is the record, not a forecast.

Where

Epicentre 19.7420, -155.7905. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Hawaii County, HI 34 km (21 mi) ESE earthquakes near Hawaii County

Places and coordinates from the US Census Bureau Gazetteer (2024). Distances are from the epicentre.

Aftershocks so far

33 earthquakes have been recorded within 50 km since this one.

  1. 1.8 19 km S of Waikoloa, Hawaii
  2. 1.6 18 km S of Waikoloa, Hawaii
  3. 1.7 21 km E of Honaunau-Napoopoo, Hawaii
  4. 3.4 19 km S of Waikoloa, Hawaii
  5. 1.6 19 km E of Kalaoa, Hawaii
  6. 1.6 17 km S of Waikoloa, Hawaii
  7. 2.3 25 km E of Honaunau-Napoopoo, Hawaii
  8. 1.5 14 km S of Waikoloa, Hawaii
  9. 1.8 20 km E of Kalaoa, Hawaii
  10. 2.0 21 km ENE of Honaunau-Napoopoo, Hawaii
  11. 1.8 27 km E of Honaunau-Napoopoo, Hawaii
  12. 1.8 30 km E of Honaunau-Napoopoo, Hawaii
  13. 1.9 27 km E of Honaunau-Napoopoo, Hawaii
  14. 2.1 19 km ENE of Kalaoa, Hawaii
  15. 1.9 25 km WNW of Volcano, Hawaii

Counted from the QuakeIndex database, which ingests the USGS feed every 30 seconds · as of . QuakeIndex does not forecast aftershocks. When USGS issues an operational aftershock forecast it appears on the USGS event page.

On USGS

QuakeIndex does not issue warnings. For earthquake early warning see ShakeAlert.