Pagan Island, Northern Mariana Islands — A magnitude 5.0 earthquake struck the Pagan region of the Northern Mariana Islands on Monday evening, shaking the northern end of the island chain. The U.S. Geological Survey reviewed and confirmed the quake shortly after it hit.

What happened: The quake hit at 9:54 p.m. Central Time Monday — 12:54 p.m. Tuesday local time in the Marianas — centered in the waters near Pagan Island, well north of Saipan. USGS measured the depth at about 129 kilometers, roughly 80 miles below the surface. A quake that deep typically loses much of its punch before it reaches the surface.

Impacts: USGS has not issued any tsunami threat for this event, and no "felt it" reports have come in so far. No damage reports have surfaced. Deep earthquakes in this region are felt less often than shallow ones, but anyone on the northern islands who did feel shaking should check their surroundings for anything that shifted or fell.

What to do:

- If you feel shaking, drop to the ground, take cover under something sturdy, and hold on until it stops.

- After the shaking ends, look around for hazards — cracked walls, toppled shelves, broken glass — before moving through your building.

- Expect possible aftershocks. A deeper quake can still be followed by smaller ones, so stay alert for a while.

- Follow guidance from local emergency officials on Saipan and Tinian for anything that follows.

Source: U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), October 19, 2026.