# M4.6 Earthquake Strikes Near the Kuril Islands

Severo-Kuril'sk, Russia — A magnitude 4.6 earthquake struck offshore in the northern Pacific on Wednesday afternoon, centered in open water about 208 kilometers southeast of Severo-Kuril'sk in Russia's Kuril Islands.

## What happened:

The U.S. Geological Survey recorded the quake at 12:19 PM Central time (5:19 PM UTC). It hit roughly 208 kilometers — about 130 miles — southeast of Severo-Kuril'sk, the closest town in the northern Kuril chain, and was centered about 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) beneath the surface. That's considered a shallow quake, and shallow quakes tend to be felt more strongly near the epicenter than deeper ones.

## Impacts:

This one struck offshore, well away from population centers, and no damage has been reported. The USGS did not issue a tsunami warning or advisory for this event — a magnitude 4.6 quake of this depth is not expected to generate a significant tsunami. No felt reports have been filed with the USGS so far. In remote island chains like the Kurils, reports can take time to come in.

## What to do:

- **Drop, cover, and hold on** if you feel shaking — get under a sturdy table and hold on until the shaking stops.

- **Stay away from windows and tall furniture** that could topple.

- **If you are near the coast and feel strong shaking**, move to higher ground as a precaution — local officials are the final word on tsunami risk.

- **Expect aftershocks.** Smaller follow-on quakes are common after an event like this; check your surroundings for damage before re-entering buildings.

- **Check for hazards** after the shaking stops — gas smells, cracked walls, fallen power lines — and report them to local authorities.

*Source: U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), October 21, 2026.*