A shallow magnitude 5.9 earthquake was reported in the evening near Hilo, Hawaii County, Hawaii, USA.According to the United States Geological Survey, the quake hit on Friday, May 22nd, 2026, at 9:46 pm local time at a shallow depth of 15 miles. Shallow earthquakes are felt more strongly than deeper ones as they are closer to the surface. The exact magnitude, epicenter, and depth of the quake might be revised within the next few hours or minutes as seismologists review data and refine their calculations, or as other agencies issue their report.Based on the preliminary seismic data, the quake should have been widely felt by almost everyone in the area of the epicenter. It might have caused light to moderate damage. Moderate shaking probably occurred in Honaunau-Napoopoo (pop. 2,600) located 8 miles from the epicenter, Captain Cook (pop. 3,400) 11 miles away, Kahaluu-Keauhou (pop. 3,500) 17 miles away, and Holualoa (pop. 8,500) 20 miles away.In Kailua-Kona (pop. 12,000) located 22 miles from the epicenter, Kalaoa (pop. 9,600) 28 miles away, Kalaoa (pop. 9,600) 28 miles away, and Hilo (pop. 43,300) 57 miles away, the quake should have been felt as light shaking.VolcanoDiscovery will automatically update magnitude and depth if these change and follow up if other significant news about the quake become available. If you’re in the area, please send us your experience through our reporting mechanism, either online or via our mobile app. This will help us provide more first-hand updates to anyone around the globe who wants to know more about this quake.Earthquake data: Date & time: May 22, 2026 09:46 pm (GMT -10) local time (23 May 2026 07:46 GMT)Magnitude: 5.9Depth: 24.50 kmEpicenter latitude / longitude: 19.34°N / 155.87°W (Hawaii County, Hawaii, United States)Primary data source: USGS