South Pacific: A magnitude-7.1 offshore earthquake occurs in the South Pacific, late Nov. 11

Event

A magnitude-7.1 earthquake occurred in the South Pacific near Tonga and Niue at 23:48 TOT Nov. 11. The epicenter was about 200 km (124 miles) east of Neiafu, Tonga. The tremor occurred at a depth of about 40 km (25 miles), and light-to-moderate shaking was probably felt throughout the impacted region. There have been no initial reports of damage or casualties as a result of the earthquake. 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 a Tsunami Advisory for American Samoa and a Potential Threat for Niue and Tonga. Updates are available by clicking here.

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, particularly near the earthquake's epicenter.

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.