A magnitude-6.0 earthquake struck near Honaunau-Napoopoo at 9:46 p.m. Friday, shaking the Hawaiian islands, damaging homes in South Kona and knocking out power for about 1,000 customers.
By Saturday, Hawaii County officials had received reports that at least 28 houses were damaged. A post-and-pier home in South Kona collapsed and was deemed unlivable because its foundation was extensively damaged, while the American Red Cross helped the renters who lived there.
Randy Morris said his daughter’s post-and-pier-type home in Kaohe, South Kona, fell off its foundation when the quake hit. A house next door shifted 3 feet. “It felt like a bomb went off,” Morris said. The size of the damage gave the earthquake now focus a rare mix of sudden force and lingering disruption for families across the island’s west side.
According to the U.S. Geological Survey’s Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, the quake was centered 7 miles south of Honaunau and Napoopoo and began 14 miles below sea level. It had no apparent impact on Mauna Loa or Kilauea, and no tsunami was generated. Rockslides temporarily blocked Highway 11, Napoopoo Road and Milolii Road, but county crews cleared debris, rocks and boulders and reopened all three routes by 6 a.m. Saturday.
By noon Saturday, the observatory reported 21 aftershocks of magnitude 1.5 or larger, including five between magnitude 2.5 and 4.0. Officials said aftershocks could continue for days or even weeks, though they are expected to diminish. County officials urged residents and business owners to report damage so they can potentially qualify for federal assistance, and they also advised people to contact insurers and document every damaged wall, roof, foundation and appliance.
The quake underscored how quickly a single jolt can splinter into a longer recovery, especially in neighborhoods built close to the coast and along steeper roads. The next test is not whether the ground keeps shaking — it is how many families can document the damage in time to get help.
