Reviewed by USGSTonga18d ago
M5.3 earthquake 26 km NW of Neiafu, Tonga
Tuesday, September 8, 2026, 11:51:09 UTC · 18.474°S, 174.155°W
A magnitude 5.3 earthquake struck 26 km NW of Neiafu, Tonga on Tuesday, September 8, 2026, 11:51:09 UTC, at a depth of 10.0 km (shallow). USGS received 3 “Did You Feel It?” reports, with a maximum reported intensity of III (weak). It is the strongest earthquake within 300 km since an M5.4 on July 29, 2026.
- Magnitude
- 5.3
- Moderate · mb
- Depth
- 10 km
- Shallow
- Felt reports
- 3
- Max intensity III
- Est. shaking
- —
- No ShakeMap
- PAGER alert
- None
- Not issued
- Tsunami
- No flag
- USGS feed
Outlined circle: this earthquake
In context
How big was it, and why here?
Energy released
1 kilotons of TNT
That is about 1/11 of the Hiroshima bomb. It released about 3 times the energy of a magnitude 5.0.
Tectonic setting
69 km
from the nearest mapped plate boundary, between the Tonga and Niuafo'ou plates. Earthquakes cluster along boundaries like this one, where plates collide, pull apart or slide past each other.
Depth: shallow
10 km
Shallow earthquakes (under 70 km) produce the strongest surface shaking for their size, so they are the ones most likely to cause damage near the epicenter.
Did You Feel It?
Where it was felt
Reports sent by people to USGS, grouped by place (most reports first). Intensity uses the Modified Mercalli scale (I–X): what people felt, not the magnitude.
| Place | Intensity | Reports | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Neiafu, Vavaʿu, Tonga | III · Weak | 2 | 27 km |
| Pangai, Haʿapai, Tonga | III · Weak | 1 | 149 km |
USGS PAGER estimate
Who was exposed to shaking
USGS publishes PAGER impact estimates for significant earthquakes, usually within an hour. No PAGER estimate is available for this event.
After the main event
Aftershocks within 75 km
USGS has not published any M2.5+ earthquake within 75 km since this event.
Regional history
Past M5+ earthquakes within 300 km
USGS lists 2,120 M5.0+ earthquakes within 300 km before this one (catalog from 1900; older records are less complete). The strongest:
- 8.11919 Tonga EarthquakeApril 30, 1919 · 182 km E of this epicenter
- 8.0TongaJanuary 4, 1903 · 192 km SW of this epicenter
- 8.02006 Tonga EarthquakeMay 3, 2006 · 191 km S of this epicenter
- 7.8159 km W of Pangai, TongaDecember 14, 1950 · 227 km SW of this epicenter
- 7.8111 km SSE of Pangai, TongaJune 26, 1913 · 248 km S of this epicenter
- 7.6199 km ESE of Hihifo, TongaApril 2, 1977 · 295 km NE of this epicenter
- 7.5158 km W of Neiafu, TongaMarch 24, 2026 · 140 km W of this epicenter
- 7.4103 km ESE of Neiafu, TongaFebruary 27, 1921 · 127 km E of this epicenter
History · NOAA
Deadliest earthquakes in this area
NOAA’s significant-earthquake database lists 15 damaging, deadly or tsunami-generating earthquakes within 300 km of this epicenter since 1700. The most severe:
- 1919M8.1
Tonga Islands
30 Apr 1919 · 174 km away
Limited damage (under $1M)tsunami
- 1865M8.0
Tonga Islands
18 Nov 1865 · 133 km away
Limited damage (under $1M)tsunami
- 2006M7.9
Tonga Islands
3 May 2006 · 191 km away · intensity VII
Limited damage (under $1M)tsunami
- 1977M7.6
Apia
2 Apr 1977 · 295 km away · intensity VI
Limited damage (under $1M)tsunami
- 1903M8.0
Tonga Islands
4 Jan 1903 · 192 km away
- 1948M7.9
Tonga Islands
8 Sep 1948 · 281 km away
tsunami
NOAA NCEI Global Significant Earthquake Database. Historical figures are estimates; older records are incomplete.