Solomon Islands: Magnitude-7.0 offshore earthquake strikes off Guadalcanal Nov. 22 /update 1

Event

A magnitude-7.0 offshore earthquake occurred in the Solomon Sea off Guadalcanal Island at around 13:03 SBT Nov. 22. The epicenter was about 56 km (35 miles) southwest of Honiara. The tremor occurred at a depth of about 14 km (9 miles), and moderate-to-very strong shaking was probably felt in Guadalcanal Island, with weak-to-light shaking likely throughout most of central and southern Solomon Islands. There have been no initial reports of damage or casualties as a result of the earthquake; significant damage is possible. It could take several hours until authorities can conduct comprehensive damage assessments, especially in remote areas. Aftershocks are likely over the coming days. The National Weather Service's US Tsunami Warning System has issued an alert warning of possible hazardous tsunamis for coastal areas within 300 km (186 miles) of the epicenter. Tsunami waves up to 1 meter (3 feet) could impact Solomon Islands, while waves reaching 0.3 meters (1 foot) are possible for Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu.

Officials may temporarily shut down transportation infrastructure in the tremor zone to check for damage. Minor disruptions could occur during shutdowns, but service will likely resume quickly if no damage is found. Utility outages are possible where shaking occurred.

Advice

Move away from the immediate coastline; tsunamis can be long-duration events, and the threat may persist for hours. Vacate multistoried buildings or unreinforced structures in areas where strong shaking occurred; aftershocks could cause additional damage. Cellular networks may be overwhelmed; use text messaging if services are available. Due to the threat of landslides, seek updated information on road conditions before driving in hilly areas in the affected area.