M 5.1 Earthquake Strikes Near Hicks Bay, New Zealand
Areazine synthesizes this USGS earthquake report directly from USGS's official public data feed. See our methodology for full source attribution and refresh cadence.
A magnitude 5.1 earthquake occurred 9 km west-northwest of Hicks Bay, New Zealand, at a depth of 35 km on June 25, 2026, UTC.
What this USGS earthquake report tells you, and what most readers miss
This notice was issued by USGS on May 2, 2026 and geographically references New Zealand. Its severity classification of "medium" signals how the issuing agency weighs the risk of harm if no action is taken - "critical" and "high" tier alerts typically carry direct consumer actions, while "medium" and "low" tend toward informational guidance or monitoring advisories. The category it belongs to - Earthquakes - determines the monitoring protocol behind it, which shapes what follow-up action (checking for structural damage, watching for aftershocks, reviewing local building codes) is relevant and which agency holds authority over the assessment.
Most readers skim a notice like this, check whether they are personally affected, and move on. The more useful lens is to verify its scope, source, and timestamp, then compare related notices without assuming that one record proves a broader trend.
Areazine pairs this record with the original agency URL so you can check the primary source before acting. Its related labels are earthquake, seismic, usgs, New Zealand.
What Happened
An earthquake with a magnitude of 5.1 mww struck 9 km WNW of Hicks Bay, New Zealand, at a depth of 35 km. The event occurred on June 25, 2026, at 03:32:33 UTC.
Location Details
The earthquake took place at coordinates 37.5613° S latitude and 178.2023° E longitude, near Hicks Bay in New Zealand. At a depth of 35 km, this is considered an intermediate-depth earthquake (between 20-70 km), which may result in shaking over a broader area compared to shallow quakes.
Impact Assessment
The earthquake was felt by 3 people, with a community decimal intensity (CDI) of 3.1 and a modified Mercalli intensity (MMI) of 4.229. There is no tsunami advisory, and the alert level is green.
What You Should Know
This moderate earthquake could potentially cause damage to poorly constructed buildings. Aftershocks are possible, and individuals in affected areas should follow safety tips such as dropping to the ground, covering their head and neck, and holding onto a sturdy object if indoors.
Source
This information is from the United States Geological Survey (USGS). For more details, visit: https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/us7000shut
Original source: USGS Official Notice ↗
Related Earthquakes
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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.
Similar body length
Nearest notices by article body length (1,175 characters here).
Similar severity timing
Same severity (medium) notices issued closest in time to May 2, 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about this USGS earthquake report.