No Pacific-wide Tsunami Expected After Strong 6.9 Earthquake Near Fiji Islands

A strong magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck south of the Fiji Islands at 10:21 a.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2022, with no tsunami threat to Hawaiʻi.

Weatherboy quoted the National Weather Service's National Tsunami Warning Center in Honolulu discussing yesterday's earthquake: "An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.9 occured south of the Fiji Islands at 6:21 am CHST on Thursday, February 17, 2022." This translates to 10:21 am HT / 3:21 pm ET on Wednesday, February 16.

"Based on all available data, there is no tsunami threat to Guam, Rota, Tinian, or Saipan from this earthquake."

Furthermore, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC) reports follow-up bulletin which broadened the lack of threat, saying all available data showed no warning, advisory, watch, or threat of destructive Pacific-wide tsunami, and there is no tsunami threat to Hawaiʻi from this quake as well, according to MauiNow.

Tsunami Warning Center encourages people to remain vigilant

Fiji is an archipelago about 3,100 miles southwest of Hawaii where earthquakes do not occur frequently, but if they do strike, they are sometimes accompanied by a tsunami. While there doesn't appear to be any threat to Hawaii or the North American West Coast after the magnitude of 6.9 quake off the coast of Fiji, the Tsunami Warning Center encourages people who are residing near the epicenter of the strong quake to remain vigilant.

"Persons along coastal areas near the earthquake should be observant and exercise normal caution. Otherwise, no action is required," the Tsunami Warning Center issued in a second information statement.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre (PTWC) assures that based on earthquake information and historic tsunami records, the earthquake was not sufficient to generate a tsunami.

The earthquake struck at a depth of 353 km.

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Location of the Wednesday morning quake

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) reported the locations of the earthquake at a depth of 528.1 km in proximity to the following nearby cities: Haveluloto, Tongatapu, Tonga 340 miles ENE; Nuku'alofa, Tongatapu, Tonga 341.1 miles ENE; 'Ohonua, ʻEua, Tonga 347.8 miles ENE; Suva, Central, Fiji 409 miles NNW; and Nadi, Western, Fiji 454.3 miles NNW.

In terms of landslide or liquefaction estimate, little or no area is affected and little or no population was exposed. The government agency issues a green alert for shaking-related fatalities and economic losses, and there is a low likelihood of casualties and damage.

According to the Structure Information Summary: There are likely to be no affected structures in this region.

The strongest quakes that shook the Fiji Islands were the 2018 earthquakes. Epicenters were located close to the Fijian island Lakeba, and around 270 km from the small town of Levuka on Ovalau. The first earthquake registered a magnitude of 8.2 and is the largest earthquake of 2018.

A notable earthquake in Fiji's history was one that occurred off the coast of Suva in 1953, as well as the 1979 Taveuni earthquake, with magnitudes 6.8 and 6.9 respectively. The earthquakes were combined with tsunamis which took lives and severely damaged a lot of architecture.

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