Magnitude 4.4 Earthquake: Kailua-Kona, Hawaii – Feb 22, 2026

A magnitude 4.4 earthquake struck near Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, at 7:09 am local time on Sunday, February 22, 2026, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS). The quake occurred at an intermediate depth of 93 miles.

The epicenter was located approximately 46 miles from Kailua-Kona, a town with a population of 12,000, where very weak shaking was reported. Residents in Kahaluu-Keauhou (population 3,500), Kalaoa (population 9,600), Holualoa (population 8,500), and Captain Cook (population 3,400) also reported experiencing minimal tremors. The USGS indicated that the initial magnitude and depth assessments are subject to revision as data analysis continues.

The USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) reported on February 22, 2026, that Kīlauea volcano’s Halemaʻumaʻu eruption remains paused, with Episode 42 having ended on February 15th. While the earthquake’s epicenter is some distance from Kīlauea, the HVO continues to monitor seismic activity across the island. Preliminary forecasts suggest the potential for the onset of Episode 43 lava fountaining between March 5th and 15th. Rates of seismicity and ground deformation remain low in the East and Southwest Rift Zones.

The USGS maintains an alert level of “WATCH” and an aviation color code of “ORANGE” for Kīlauea. During the current pause in the eruption, the summit is emitting robust degassing plumes, and weak glow has been observed from both vents. Tiltmeter data indicates a recovery of nearly 14.0 microradians of inflationary tilt since the end of Episode 42, with 2.4 microradians recorded in the past 24 hours. Sulfur dioxide emissions are currently within a typical range of 1,000 to 5,000 tonnes per day, significantly lower than the estimated 100,000 tonnes per day during previous fountaining episodes.

A separate USGS report details response spectra data from a station at Kailua-Kona Fire Station, recording peak ground acceleration (PGA) values of -29.10 cm/s/s for the 90-degree component, 59.30 cm/s/s for the 360-degree component, and -19.00 cm/s/s for the vertical component. The earthquake originated 56.6 km from the Kailua-Kona station.