Earthquake in Hawaii came as a surprise to the residents of The Big Island. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the magnitude 4.3 earthquake in Hawaii struck Thursday morning as residents brace for two hurricanes to hit over the weekend. Meanwhile, some people fear that the approaching hurricanes may be linked to the earthquake in Hawaii.
The Associated Press reports that the temblor struck the island's north tip which is about 7 miles from Waimea. The earthquake in Hawaii occurred at 6:24 a.m. Hawaii-Aleutian Standard Time (12:24 p.m. EDT), said the USGS.
According to The Weather Channel, the epicentre of the earthquake in Hawaii was 7 miles west-northwest of Waimea in the northwest part of the island of Hawaii. The depth of the earthquake in Hawaii was estimated to be under 10 miles below the Earth's surface, therefore it was considered a shallow quake.
According to the USGS, most of the shaking that occurred during the earthquake in Hawaii occurred across much of the Big Island, except for its eastern shores.
The earthquake in Hawaii has caught the attention of some people on social media, including this one:
earthquake north kohala...pictures off wall
— Len Winkler (@lenwink) August 7, 2014
The New York Daily News reports that there was also shaking on the island of Maui from the earthquake in Hawaii, but the earthquake in Hawaii, which hit the Waimea region, has been considered light.
However, The Weather Channel said the earthquake in Hawaii on Thursday quake was the state's strongest quake since a tremor shook the island on Aug. 11, 2013. The quake last year was at 4.9 magnitudes and it struck the southeastern part of Hawaii.
According to the NY Daily, there were no reports of damage and injuries yet in the aftermath of the earthquake in Hawaii. There is also no threat of a tsunami, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, since the quake had a small magnitude and the location of the epicenter was onshore.
The earthquake in Hawaii comes while the islands are still bracing for two back-to-back hurricanes due to hit over the weekend.
Some are wondering if the current earthquake in Hawaii had any relation to the oncoming hurricanes.
According to The Weather Channel, a 2009 study found a link between earthquakes in Taiwan and atmospheric pressure drops associated with passing typhoons. However, the link with the earthquake in Hawaii and the oncoming hurricanes cannot be proven since atmospheric pressure was still rising on the Big Island during the Thursday quake.
Hurricane Iselle, one of the hurricanes residents are on the lookout for, was due to hit Hawaii tonight. Its trail will be followed by Hurricane Julio, which according to the AP, has strengthened early Thursday into a Category 2 storm.
Meanwhile, Hawaiian residents are preparing for the oncoming onslaught of the two hurricanes, gathering as needed water and supplies on Thursday.
According to the NY Daily, while the earthquake in Hawaii had no damages or injuries reported, the two hurricanes proved worse as they have already disrupted tourism. Flash flood warnings were announced which eventually led to school closures.
Gov. Neil Abercrombie has signed an emergency proclamation which allowed officials to tap into a disaster fund set aside by the state Legislature.
In the meantime, the Red Cross will reportedly be opening 35 evacuation shelters on Thursday in The Big Island, Maui County and Oahu. The shelters will be able to take in an estimated 79,000 people.
Reports say it's been 22 years since Hawaii is to experience a single hurricane, much more two. The NY Daily reported that Hawaii has been hit by hurricanes only three times since 1950. In 1992, there was Hurricane Iniki which killed six people and destroyed more than 1,400 homes in Kauai.
Earthquake in Hawaii may have been nothing to worry about, but the "rare" hurricanes in the area are beginning to become not so with Iselle and Julio set to take landfall over the weekend. Hurricanes Iselle and Julio are two of the four hurricanes currently developing in the Pacific Ocean.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
