Honolulu (AP) – Hawaii Earthquake Shakes Islands Mouna Loa, the largest active volcano in the world, was rocked by an earthquake of magnitude 5.7 on Friday. Things fell from shelves in neighboring towns when it struck Mouna Loa on the large island, but no initial reports of significant damage were recorded. The tsunami was not anticipated.
The American Geological Survey first recorded the earthquake’s magnitude as 6.3. Its epicenter was located 1.3 miles (2 kilometers) below the surface of Mouna Loa, 23 miles (37 kilometers) south-southwest of Pahala.
Derek Nelson, manager of the Kona Kainoa Club Restaurant on the Kona shore, described the earthquake as “quite strong,” causing some people’s legs to tremble. It rattled every window in the village.”
At the end of 2022, Mouna Loa last erupted. It is one of the five volcanoes that comprise the largest island in the Hawaiian archipelago, which is located in the south.
The Hawaii Volcano Observatory reports that the earthquake was brought on by the weight of the Hawaiian Islands on the earth’s surface. This kind of earthquake is occasionally felt on islands that were produced over millions of years by ongoing volcanic eruptions.
According to the Observatory, the magnitude of the earthquake did not result in damage to structures or vital infrastructure, nor did it have any effect on Mouna Loa or the neighboring Kilauea volcano.
The large island and its environs are the sites of the majority of Hawaii’s earthquakes, according to the Hawaii Volcano Observatory. According to the government, the state experiences an earthquake of magnitude five or greater once every 1.5 years on average.
The large island is mostly rural, with tourist hotels, coffee fields, and dairy farms. It does, however, also contain a few small towns, such as Hilo, the county seat, which is home to about 45,000 people.
Some vibrations may have been felt approximately 200 miles (322 kilometers) north in Honolulu, on Oahu Island. The tremor struck after ten in the morning.
In a cardiology conference in Honolulu, Big Island mayor Mitch Roth first believed they were experiencing side effects from a medical procedure: “Suddenly, I felt like I was getting dizzy.”
He claimed that as soon as he discovered there was an earthquake, he called emergency personnel, and now they are returning to Honolulu Airport in an attempt to locate the first aircraft.
A few things at the Wool and Grace Filipino Variety Store in Naalehu fell off the shelves.
“Some things fell, but nothing broke,” Grace Tebios, the proprietor, said, pointing to Philippine medicine and mayonnaise jars.
She claimed that while her husband was working on their coffee field, he fell due to the shaking, yet the shrine inside the store was unharmed by the earthquake. His landlines, according to her, were not operational.
First Harvest Cottages’ owner, Julia Neil, stated that a brass light and a mirror collapsed during some strong shocks.
She continued, “We have many houses from our old plantation gardens, so they were shaking quite a bit.”
