Port-Olry, Vanuatu — A 4.9-magnitude earthquake struck the waters off northern Vanuatu on Tuesday afternoon, hitting about 187 kilometers northwest of Port-Olry.

What happened: The quake struck at 3:03 p.m. Central Time (8:03 p.m. UTC), at a depth of roughly 10 kilometers — relatively shallow, which can make shaking feel stronger near the epicenter. The U.S. Geological Survey has reviewed the event. Vanuatu sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire, where earthquakes are a regular occurrence.

Impacts: The epicenter was well offshore, northwest of Port-Olry on the island of Espiritu Santo. The USGS issued no tsunami warning with this quake. No damage reports have been filed so far; shaking may have been felt lightly in parts of northern Vanuatu.

What to do:

- If you feel shaking: drop, cover, and hold on until it stops.

- Check your surroundings for fallen objects, cracked walls, or gas smells before settling back in.

- Expect possible aftershocks — they can arrive in the hours or days after a quake this size.

Source: U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), October 20, 2026.