Tonga earthquakes

M5.4 earthquake 81 km NE of Hihifo, Tonga

A magnitude 5.4 earthquake struck 81 km NE of Hihifo, Tonga on Thu, Oct 7, 2021, 4:54 AM GMT+13 (15:54 UTC), 35 km (22 mi) below the surface.

Apia forecast More in Tonga

Map

Where this earthquake was located, with the others nearby. Select one for its page.

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The earthquake

Magnitude: 5.4 (mww), moderate
Local time: Thu, Oct 7, 2021, 4:54 AM GMT+13
UTC: 2021-10-06 15:54:20 UTC
Depth: 35.0 km (21.7 mi), shallow
Epicenter: 15.422° S, 173.274° W
Region: Tonga
Felt reports: 4
Strongest shaking: III, weak shaking
PAGER alert: Green
Tsunami flag: No
Status: Reviewed by a seismologist

Shaking

The USGS ShakeMap: shaking estimated from seismic stations and the quake’s size, on the Modified Mercalli intensity scale.

Strongest estimated: III, weak shaking
Peak ground acceleration: 1.0% of gravity
Peak ground velocity: -0.2 cm/s
Map: Automatic

USGS ShakeMap: estimated shaking intensity around the epicenter — Estimated shaking intensity. Map: USGS ShakeMap.

Did you feel it?

4 people reported to the USGS what they felt; the strongest reported shaking was IV, light shaking.

Estimated impact

The USGS PAGER system estimates deaths and economic losses from the shaking and the population and buildings exposed to it.

Alert level: Green: little or no damage or loss of life expected

Deaths: estimated chance of each range
Range	Chance
Under 1	65%
1 to 10	30%
10 to 100	4%
100 to 1,000	Under 1%
1,000 to 10,000	Under 1%
10,000 to 100,000	Under 1%
100,000 to 10,000,000	Under 1%

Economic losses: estimated chance of each range
Range, million USD	Chance
Under 1	65%
1 to 10	30%
10 to 100	4%
100 to 1,000	Under 1%
1,000 to 10,000	Under 1%
10,000 to 100,000	Under 1%
100,000 to 10,000,000	Under 1%

How well it is located

Reviewed by a seismologist.

Location uncertainty: About 8.0 km horizontally, 1.9 km in depth
Magnitude uncertainty: ±0.10
Depth from: Operator assigned
Station coverage gap: 36°
Stations used: 179

Nearest places

Distance and direction from each place to the epicenter, with its forecast.

Apia, SamoaPopulation 40,407. Forecast240 kmSW

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 2.4 and up: 14 in the 60 days after this one and 11 in the 30 days before it.

After

Before

Earthquakes today Tonga earthquakes Live radar here

Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event usd000g72h (also filed as iscgem621630039). Read Wed, Sep 30, 2026, 6:29 AM UTC.