(BIVN) – Hawaiʻi island is working to clear damage and restore power following Friday night’s magnitude 6.0 earthquake that struck the western flank of Mauna Loa volcano in South Kona.
The earthquake was not strong enough to generate a tsunami, but it did cause rockslides, road closures, power outages, and shift structures on their foundations.
“Crews continue to restore power and have reopened all roads,” the Hawaiʻi County Civil Defense said on Saturday morning. “Be aware that debris piles may be on the side of the road until crews can complete removal.”
“As with all earthquakes, exercise caution as the ground and rocks may have shifted or be unstable,” the agency said.
Hawaiian Electric said at 10 a.m. on Saturday that it is working to restore power to customers in South Kona following last night’s earthquake. The utility added that there was also an early morning motor vehicle accident in Keauhou that knocked power out for some customers.
“About 70 of the 1,000 customers who lost power during the earthquake and about 20 customers in Keauhou will remain without power until crews can complete repairs,” Hawaiian Electric said.
Scientists with the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory said the earthquake was likely caused “by stress due to bending of the oceanic plate from the weight of the Hawaiian island chain”, and the event was not directly related to volcanic processes.
“The M6.0 earthquake on the west side of the island last night did not impact activity at Kīlauea but did offset tiltmeters,” the observatory reported on Saturday morning.
Hawaiʻi County Civil Defense officials added:
Due to reports of damage, Civil Defense is encouraging all residents and businesses to assess their property for possible damage to buildings, utilities, water catchment, and roadways. If you sustained damage, please self-report damages online to Hawaii County Civil Defense or call Civil Defense at 808-935-0031 for assistance.
