Moderate magnitude 4.2 quake hits 45 miles southwest of Hilo, Hawaii, United States in the afternoon

A shallow magnitude 4.2 earthquake was reported in the afternoon near Hilo, Hawaii County, Hawaii, USA.
According to the United States Geological Survey, the quake hit on Thursday, March 12th, 2026, at 5:16 pm local time at a shallow depth of 18 miles. Shallow earthquakes are felt more strongly than deeper ones as 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 report.
Based on the preliminary seismic data, the quake should not have caused any significant damage, but was probably felt by many people as light vibration in the area of the epicenter.
Weak shaking might have been felt in Pāhala (pop. 1,400) located 9 miles from the epicenter, and Discovery Harbor (pop. 1,200) 18 miles away.
Other towns or cities near the epicenter where the quake might have been felt as very weak shaking include Volcano (pop. 2,600) located 24 miles from the epicenter, Hawaiian Ocean View (pop. 4,400) 26 miles away, Fern Forest (pop. 1,200) 28 miles away, Eden Roc (pop. 1,400) 31 miles away, Mountain View (pop. 3,900) 34 miles away, Hawaiian Paradise Park (pop. 11,400) 41 miles away, and Hilo (pop. 43,300) 45 miles away.

Earthquake data:
Date & time: Mar 13, 2026 03:16 am (Universal Time) local time (13 Mar 2026 03:16 GMT)
Magnitude: 4.2
Depth: 31.30 km
Epicenter latitude / longitude: 19.13°N / 155.37°W (Hawaii, Hawaii, United States)
Primary data source: USGS
https://www.volcanodiscovery.com/earthquake/news/297488/Moderate-magnitude-42-quake-hits-45-miles-southwest-of-Hilo-Hawaii-United-States-in-the-afternoon-.html