Two quakes strike off Maui; no tsunami is generated
A 4.7 magnitude earthquake struck tonight off the coast of Maui and was followed by a smaller quake about 20 minutes later.
The U.S. Geological Survey said the earthquake occurred at 6:34 p.m. at a depth of 9.5 miles.
A scientist at the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said the tremblor was centered beneath Kahoolawe and was too small to generate a tsunami.
"It was felt widely on Maui and apparently a few people on Oahu have felt it," the scientist said. "We’ve had a couple of reports from Wailuku and Maalaea, people saying, ‘hey, it really shook.’"
There have been no reports of damage the Tsunami Warning Center said.
A quake further up the island chain, such as this one, occur about once a year or every few years, the Tsunami Warning Center said.
The quake was 13 miles south-southwest of Kihei and 96 miles east-southest of Honolulu.
A smaller 3.3 magnitude quake occurred at 6:51 p.m., said the U.S. Geological Survey. The center of that earthquake was closer to the Big Island, about 16 miles west of Hawi on the Big Island’s northwestern tip.