# M5.4 Earthquake Strikes Vanuatu

**Port-Olry, Vanuatu —** A magnitude 5.4 earthquake shook the waters north of Vanuatu early this morning, the U.S. Geological Survey reports.

**What happened:** The quake struck at 3:12 a.m. Central time (CDT) Monday, October 19, centered about 184 kilometers west-northwest of Port-Olry in northern Vanuatu. It hit at a shallow depth of about 10 kilometers, which can make a quake more strongly felt near the epicenter. The magnitude was measured as 5.4 on the body-wave magnitude scale.

**Impacts:** The USGS has no felt reports on file yet and has not issued a tsunami threat flag for this event. Vanuatu sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire and sees frequent earthquakes, so shaking may have been noticed on the northern islands near Port-Olry and Luganville. No damage reports have been confirmed at this time.

**What to do:**

- If you felt shaking and are near the coast, move to higher ground as a precaution and listen for official guidance from local authorities.

- Drop, cover, and hold on if shaking resumes — get under a sturdy table or desk and stay away from windows.

- Check your home for damage, including gas lines and electrical wiring, before turning utilities back on.

- Expect aftershocks. Smaller tremors can follow a quake like this in the hours and days ahead.

*Source: U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), October 19, 2026. Reported by TNW News.*