5.7 magnitude earthquake hits Hawaii Island

HONOLULU (KHON) — The Hawaiian islands felt a tremor on Friday morning.

People from Hilo to Kauai confirmed they felt the earth shaking just after 10 a.m., with one person in Hilo describing it as a “huge” earthquake.

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) said the earthquake had a preliminary reading of 6.3 but was reviewed and later said to have been a 5.7, located 1.25 miles off of Naalehu and 23 miles below sea level.

Maui and Honolulu Counties issued statements that there was no tsunami threat, though aftershocks are expected to continue.

“This earthquake is likely associated with lithospheric flexure caused by the weight of the Hawaiian Islands on the oceanic lithosphere,” USGS said in a news release.

A number of quakes occurred prior to the larger one at approximately 10:06 a.m. and there have been simultaneous tremors since, according to the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatoryʻs map.

All the quakes have been reported to be off the Kaʻū coast of the Big Island.

Hawaii County officials said crews were responding to minor landslides due to the earthquake and HELCO said more than 300 people were without power.

The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory changed the alert level for Kilauea to Watch Advisory on Jan. 31 due to increased earthquake activity and ground deformation.

“We’ve been in this period of unrest now for a couple of months since last October,” said Deputy Scientist-in-Charge David A. Philips at the time.

This is a developing story.