A powerful magnitude-7.0 earthquake jolted the remote South Shetland Islands on Thursday afternoon, but officials say Hawaiʻi can breathe easy. The quake hit at about 2:22 p.m. HST on March 19, 2026, with preliminary coordinates near 61.1° S, 56.6° W and an estimated depth of roughly 17 kilometers. Because the epicenter was far from major population centers and undersea conditions showed no large vertical displacement, state and federal agencies quickly determined there was no tsunami threat to Hawaiʻi.
NO Tsunami Threat An earthquake has occurred with these preliminary parameters: ORIGIN TIME - 2:22 pm HST 19 Mar 2026 COORDINATES - 61.1 South 56.6 West LOCATION - South Shetland Islands MAGNITUDE - 7.0 Moment There is NO tsunami threat to Hawaiʻi.
— Hawaii EMA (@Hawaii_EMA) March 19, 2026
Official bulletins
According to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, the event was recorded as a magnitude 7.0 moment earthquake with origin time 2026-03-20T00:22:05Z, which corresponds to about 2:22 p.m. HST on March 19. It was centered near 61.1° S, 56.6° W at an estimated depth of roughly 17 kilometers. In its online bulletin, the center reported "No Tsunami Warning, Advisory, Watch, or Threat" for the Hawaiian Islands based on early wave modeling and sea-level observations.
State response
The Hawaiʻi Emergency Management Agency reiterated the all-clear on X, posting that there is "NO Tsunami Threat" to Hawaiʻi and reminding the public that its social accounts are not monitored around the clock and that people should call 9-1-1 for emergencies. Hawaii Emergency Management Agency said it would continue tracking official forecasts and would issue updates if conditions change.
Why Hawaii isn't at risk
Tsunamis depend on abrupt vertical displacement of the seafloor and specific fault geometry, so not every large quake sends damaging waves racing across the ocean, as NOAA explains. Depth, rupture type and distance from the coast all factor into whether a temblor produces a dangerous wave, and early analyses of this event indicated it was unlikely to pose any threat to Hawaiʻi's shores.
What residents should know
There is no current need for coastal evacuations in Hawaiʻi, but officials still urge residents to keep emergency plans and go-bags ready and to sign up for local county alert systems. For authoritative information, check the state agency's site at Hawaiʻi Emergency Management Agency and review tsunami bulletins at tsunami.gov. If you are facing an immediate emergency, call 9-1-1.
