Magnitude 4.1 earthquake strikes near Hilo, Hawaii County, Hawaii, USA

A shallow magnitude 4.1 earthquake was reported in the evening near Hilo, Hawaii County, Hawaii, USA.
According to the United States Geological Survey, the quake struck on Thursday, September 17th, 2026, at 8:36 pm local time, at a shallow depth of 7.7 miles. Shallow earthquakes are felt more strongly than deeper ones because they are closer to the surface. The exact magnitude, epicenter, and depth of the quake might be revised within the next few hours or minutes as seismologists review data and refine their calculations, or as other agencies issue their reports.
A second report was later issued by the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC), which listed it as a magnitude 3.8 earthquake.
Based on the preliminary seismic data, the quake should not have caused any significant damage, but was probably felt by many people as light vibrations in the area of the epicenter.
Weak shaking might have been felt in Pāhala (pop. 1,400), located 3 miles from the epicenter; Discovery Harbor (pop. 1,200), 13 miles away; Hawaiian Ocean View (pop. 4,400), 20 miles away; and Volcano (pop. 2,600), 25 miles away.
Other towns or cities near the epicenter where the quake might have been felt as very weak shaking include Holualoa (pop. 8,500), located 44 miles from the epicenter; Hawaiian Paradise Park (pop. 11,400), 45 miles away; Hilo (pop. 43,300), 47 miles away; and Kailua-Kona (pop. 12,000), 48 miles away.

Earthquake data:
Date & time: Sep 17, 2026 08:36 pm (Honolulu time) local time (18 Sep 2026 06:36 GMT)
Magnitude: 4.1
Hypocenter depth: 12.42 km
Epicenter coordinates: 19.16°N / 155.48°W (Hawaii County, Hawaii, United States)
Primary data source: USGS
https://www.volcanodiscovery.com/earthquakes/news/357648/Magnitude-41-earthquake-strikes-near-Hilo-Hawaii-County-Hawaii-USA.html