M 4.1 Earthquake 5 km S of Pāhala, Hawaii

Source: USGS · Hawaii

A magnitude 4.1 earthquake was recorded by USGS near 5 km S of Pāhala. On the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program scale, M4.1 is classified "Light". Among the 1,740 earthquake reports Areazine has published, this M4.1 event ranks stronger than 48% of them (rank #889 by magnitude).

The earthquake report, at a glance

Magnitude
M 4.1
USGS class
Light
Location
5 km S of Pāhala
Archive rank
#889 of 1,740
Source
USGS
Published
September 18, 2026
LIGHT

Out of 1,740 earthquake reports Areazine has logged, this one outranks 48% of them — 888 recorded a higher magnitude.

Record status: a point-in-time USGS detection. Aftershocks, revised magnitude, and felt-report data continue to update on USGS's own event page after publication.

What Happened

A M 4.06 ml earthquake occurred 5 km S of Pāhala, Hawaii, at 12:36 UTC on August 18, 2026 (Unix timestamp 1789713403030). The event was reviewed by USGS and had a depth of 12.42 km.

Location Details

The epicenter was located at latitude 19.1576666666667, longitude -155.476333333333, 5 km south of Pāhala, Hawaii. The depth of 12.42 km classifies it as shallow (less than 20 km).

Impact Assessment

The earthquake was felt by 84 people, with a maximum reported intensity (CDI) of 4.6 and MMI of 3.672. The alert level was green and there was no tsunami advisory (tsunami field value 0).

What You Should Know

Earthquakes of this magnitude are often felt but rarely cause damage. Residents should be prepared for possible aftershocks and follow standard safety practices such as dropping, covering, and holding on during shaking.

Source

Data from USGS: https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/hv75039212

Original source: USGS Official Notice ↗

All Earthquakes →

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.

Frequently Asked Questions

Questions readers often have about this USGS earthquake report.

How strong was this earthquake?
A magnitude 4.1 earthquake struck 5 km south of Pāhala, Hawaii, on August 18, 2026.
How should a magnitude 4.1 ("Light") event be understood?
The USGS classifies M4.1 as "Light" 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.
Is this earthquake stronger or weaker than others in the archive?
This is the #889 strongest of the 1,740 earthquake reports in Areazine's archive by magnitude, stronger than 48% of them and weaker than 888 others.
Was Pāhala likely to feel this earthquake?
This event was centered 5 km S 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.