The August 21, 1951 earthquake

M6.3near Honaunau-Napoopoo, Hawaii

A magnitude 6.3 earthquake 6.2 miles deep, 5.2 miles off Hawaii County. The 10th strongest in Hawaii’s record since 1900, and the strongest within 50 miles since a magnitude 6.5 on October 5, 1929.

The earthquake

Magnitude
6.3
moment magnitude (mw)
Depth
6.2 mi
10.0 km below the surface
Local time
Tuesday, August 21, 1951
00:57 HST; 10:57 UTC
Epicentre
19.28°N, 155.92°W
5.2 mi from Hawaii County
In Hawaii’s record
10th
strongest of 39,637 since 1900
Within 50 miles
1
county; more on this date

USGS ANSS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog, event iscgem894641 (“20 km SSW of Honaunau-Napoopoo, Hawaii”). The USGS event page carries the ShakeMap, felt reports and the official summary.

Counties and cities within 50 miles

Distance from the epicentre to each county boundary (zero when inside) and to each city centre.

Counties

Earthquakes around the epicentre

5,804 earthquakes of magnitude 3 or more within 50 miles of this epicentre since 1973.

Earthquakes of magnitude 3 or more within 50 miles of the epicentre, by year 1973: 81 1974: 180 1975: 363 1976: 173 1977: 127 1978: 101 1979: 115 1980: 152 1981: 135 1982: 131 1983: 125 1984: 66 1985: 46 1986: 45 1987: 41 1988: 43 1989: 35 1990: 34 1991: 44 1992: 43 1993: 17 1994: 16 1995: 15 1996: 99 1997: 97 1998: 133 1999: 54 2000: 17 2001: 18 2002: 9 2003: 15 2004: 19 2005: 15 2006: 34 2007: 31 2008: 18 2009: 16 2010: 19 2011: 33 2012: 35 2013: 25 2014: 21 2015: 41 2016: 54 2017: 43 2018: 1,988 1,988 2019: 42 2020: 90 2021: 147 2022: 201 2023: 116 2024: 191 2025: 55 19731978198319881993199820032008201320182023

Earlier earthquakes of magnitude 5 or more within 50 miles, strongest first

USGS ANSS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog. Local time is the time zone of the county nearest the epicentre. Magnitudes are as the catalogue reports them.