Another earthquake rattles Hawaii

Big Island residents hoping to sleep in on Thanksgiving Day were shaken out of bed at about 9:20 this morning by a 5.0 magnitude earthquake. The quake struck about 13 miles north of Kailua Kona, not far from where a 6.7 magnitude earthquake hit on Oct. 15. This morning’s quake did not generate a tsunami, and unlike last month’s event, there are no reports of major damage. Power went out for some Big Island neighborhoods, but most are back online as of this report.

Residents reported feeling the quake across the island chain. The reports of strongest shaking have so far come from neighborhoods on the northern end of the Big Island, including Waikoloa, Hawi and Kapaau, as well as Kamuela and Honokaa.

Melvin Ah Ching, webmaster and legislative aide, was there visiting family when the earthquake hit. “I was on the phone at the exact time talking to my friend in Hilo, 40 miles southeast of Honokaa,” he reported on HawaiiThreads.com. “I told him we are having an earthquake, but he did not feel it until some 30 to 35 seconds later.”