Quake in Hawaii as hurricanes close in
A magnitude-4.5 earthquake has rattled Hawaii’s Big Island, as two hurricanes rumbled toward the islands, the US Geological Survey has reported.
It struck on the north tip of the Big Island, about 7 miles (11km) from Waimea at 6.24am local time.
The US Geological Survey initially announced that the quake was magnitude-4.3 but quickly upgraded it.
Hawaii County Civil Defence Director Darryl Oliveira said there have been no reports of damage, adding that a moderate quake is “not uncommon” for Hawaii.
An employee of a grocery store in Waimea, a city with a population of about 7,000, said the quake did not cause any apparent damage in the building and did not knock anything off shelves.
Hurricane Iselle is on course to hit the Big Island later tonight, and is being tailed by Hurricane Julio, which strengthened into a Category 2 storm earlier today.
