M 5.5 Earthquake Hits Pagan Region, Northern Mariana Islands
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 5.5 earthquake struck the Pagan region of the Northern Mariana Islands at a depth of 220 km on June 28, 2026, at 12:31:01 UTC.
What this USGS earthquake report tells you, and what most readers miss
This notice was issued by USGS on April 14, 2026 and geographically references Northern Mariana Islands. 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, Northern Mariana Islands.
What Happened
A magnitude 5.5 mww earthquake occurred in the Pagan region, Northern Mariana Islands, at a depth of 219.991 km. The event took place on June 28, 2026, at 12:31:01 UTC.
Location Details
The earthquake was located at coordinates 18.9342° N, 145.4987° E, in the Pagan region of the Northern Mariana Islands. With a depth of 220 km, this is considered a deep earthquake (greater than 70 km), which typically occurs in subduction zones and may result in less surface shaking compared to shallower events.
Impact Assessment
There have been no felt reports for this earthquake. No tsunami advisory has been issued, as indicated by the data, and the alert level is green.
What You Should Know
This moderate earthquake, with a magnitude of 5.5, can potentially cause damage to poorly constructed buildings. It is common for aftershocks to follow such events, and individuals in the area should follow basic safety tips, such as dropping to the ground, covering under a sturdy object, and holding on if shaking occurs.
Source
Information sourced from the United States Geological Survey (USGS). For more details, visit: https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/us6000spva
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 (1,273 characters here).
Similar severity timing
Same severity (medium) notices issued closest in time to April 14, 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about this USGS earthquake report.