earthquake hawaii
Hawaii has frequent small earthquakes, and in late January 2026 there was a modest but widely felt quake, not a major disaster.
What just happened in Hawaii?
- On January 26, 2026, a magnitude 4.2 earthquake occurred about 1 mile (2 km) northwest of Pāhala on the Island of Hawaiʻi at a depth of about 21 miles (33 km) below sea level.
- It is part of a long‑running deep earthquake “swarm” under Pāhala that has been ongoing for about seven years and is not considered a sign of an imminent major eruption.
- Shaking intensity was “light” (intensity IV) but felt widely across the Big Island, with over 300 felt reports in the first 45 minutes.
- Separately, automated summaries list a smaller magnitude 2.1 quake near Hawaii on the evening of January 27, 2026, about 64 km west‑southwest of Hilo at 8 km depth.
Tsunami or volcano risk?
- No tsunami threat was reported from the January 26 quake; people are directed to NOAA’s tsunami site for confirmation.
- USGS notes the Pāhala event had no apparent impact on the paused Halemaʻumaʻu eruption or on Mauna Loa and Kīlauea activity.
Recent pattern of quakes
- Hawaii regularly experiences small quakes around Fern Acres, Fern Forest, and other Big Island locations, often in the magnitude 1–3 range.
- A recent example is a magnitude 2.1 quake near Fern Acres on January 13, 2026, at only 2 km depth, which generated no public damage reports.
Forum and “trending topic” angle
- Earthquake chatter about Hawaii often appears on forums like Reddit’s /r/Hawaii and /r/Earthquakes, with locals posting “Did anyone feel that?” during noticeable shakes.
- Past Pacific events, such as the July 2025 tsunami warning for Hawaii after a distant 8.8 quake in Russia’s Far East, have also amplified concern and online discussion, even when Hawaii itself wasn’t the epicenter.
If you are in Hawaii now
- Check USGS and your local civil defense or emergency management channels for the very latest alerts and instructions.
- For tsunami questions, verify with NOAA’s official tsunami information page, which is what USGS itself points residents to after felt quakes.
Quick HTML table of key facts
| Date (local) | Location | Magnitude | Depth | Main notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 26, 2026 | 1 mi NW of Pāhala, Island of Hawaiʻi | [3]4.2 | [3]21 mi (33 km) below sea level | [3]Part of ongoing deep Pāhala swarm; light shaking, widely felt; no tsunami, no major volcanic change. | [3]
| Jan 27, 2026 | Near Hawaii, 64 km WSW of Hilo | [5]2.1 | [5]8 km | [5]Small local quake, listed as latest event in 2026 earthquake log. | [5]
| Jan 13, 2026 | Near Fern Acres, SE of Fern Forest | [1]2.1 | [1]2 km | [1]Minor event, no public reports of impacts. | [1]
Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.