M 3.9 - 2 km SSW of Pāhala, Hawaii

Source: USGS · Hawaii

A magnitude 3.9 earthquake was recorded by USGS near 2 km SSW of Pāhala. On the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program scale, M3.9 is classified "Minor". Among the 1,717 earthquake reports Areazine has published, this M3.9 event ranks stronger than 44% of them (rank #930 by magnitude).

30 seconds on this earthquake report

Magnitude
M 3.9
USGS class
Minor
Location
2 km SSW of Pāhala
Archive rank
#930 of 1,717
Source
USGS
Published
September 13, 2026
MINOR

Sits above 44% of the 1,717 earthquakes in the archive by magnitude; 929 ran stronger.

Record status: a snapshot from USGS, not a final record. Check USGS's own event page for aftershocks and any later revision to the magnitude shown here.

What Happened

A M 3.9 ml earthquake occurred at 2 km SSW of Pāhala, Hawaii. The event took place at 2026-09-13 12:40:23 UTC with a depth of 8.72 km.

Location Details

The earthquake was located at latitude 19.1812, longitude -155.4890. This depth of 8.72 km is classified as shallow (less than 20 km).

Impact Assessment

The earthquake was felt by 50 people, with a maximum reported intensity (CDI) of 3.9. No tsunami was generated (tsunami advisory status: 0). No alert level was issued.

What You Should Know

Earthquakes of this magnitude (M 2.5-3.9) are often felt but rarely cause damage. Minor aftershocks remain possible.

Source

Data from USGS: https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/hv75034997

Original source: USGS Official Notice ↗

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Similar notices nationwide by length or severity timing 8

Two Areazine-derived peer sets for this USGS earthquake report: nearest notices by body length and by same severity near the same agency date. Peers come from other categories so they are not the same-feed Related list above.

Common Questions

Questions readers often have about this USGS earthquake report.

What magnitude was this earthquake?
A magnitude 3.9 earthquake struck 2 km SSW of Pāhala, Hawaii on September 13, 2026.
What does a magnitude 3.9 ("Minor") earthquake mean?
The USGS classifies M3.9 as "Minor" on its Earthquake Hazards Program scale. Events in this range are often felt near the epicenter and can cause minor damage to vulnerable structures, though widespread damage is uncommon.
How does this compare with other earthquakes Areazine has reported?
This is the #930 strongest of the 1,717 earthquake reports in Areazine's archive by magnitude, stronger than 44% of them and weaker than 929 others.
Was Pāhala likely to feel this earthquake?
This event was centered 2 km SSW of Pāhala. Shaking intensity falls off sharply with distance from the epicenter and depends on depth and local geology, so check the USGS "Did You Feel It?" report for this event for real felt-shaking data rather than assuming from magnitude and distance alone.