On May 11, a magnitude 7.4 earthquake hit Tonga, according to the United States Geological Survey. The quake occurred about 100 kilometers off the remote volcanic island of Niuatoputapu, with a depth of 210 kilometers. There were no reports of damage, and the US Tsunami Warning System did not issue any warnings. Gary Vite, the chief meteorologist at Tonga Meteorological Services, confirmed that people felt the tremors but reported no damage.
Reports indicated that the tremors were felt as far away as the Samoan capital, Apia, some 360 kilometers from the epicenter. The Samoa Meteorological Service spokesperson said that the office near Apia experienced “strong vibrations,” but there were no reports of damage or casualties.
In January of last year, a massive underwater volcano off the coast of Tonga triggered Tsunami warnings. Satellite images captured the explosion of the Hunga Tonga Hunga Ha’apai volcano, which sent smoke and ash into the air. The resulting tsunami waves caused severe damage and knocked out communications for the nation of about 105,000 people.
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