Strong M6.1 Earthquake struck on Monday Morning in the South Pacific Ocean 246km from Apia (Samoa).

Written by Earthquakelist.org on April 19th, 2026. Last updated April 20th, 2026.

A strong Magnitude 6.1 earthquake struck in the South Pacific Ocean 246 kilometer from Apia, Samoa in the early morning of Monday April 20th, 2026. Around 170 thousand people have been exposed to shaking.

Earthquake Summary

This earthquake hit under water in the South Pacific Ocean, 191 kilometers (118 mi) off the coast of Samoa, 246 kilometer southwest of Apia in Tuamasaga. The center of this earthquake had a quite shallow depth of 36 km. Shallow earthquakes usually have a larger impact than earthquakes deep in the earth.

Date and Time:	Apr 20, 2026 06:34 (Apia Time) - Apr 19, 2026 17:34 Universal Time.
Location:	246 km SW of Apia, Tuamasaga, Samoa. Coordinates 15°7'32"S 173°36'59"W.
Map:	Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps.
Magnitude:	MAG 6.1 Detected by 5 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.04 .
Depth:	36 km (22 mi) A quite shallow depth.
Max. Intensity:	V Moderate On the Modified Mercalli Scale.
Tsunami Risk:	Low tsunami risk Earthquakes under MAG-6.5 do not usually cause tsunami's. Always stay cautious - More info here.

Minimal impact predicted

Based on scientific estimates by the US Geographic Survey (USGS), the risk of high fatalities for this earthquake is classified at level GREEN (low). They expect an 90% likelyhood of between 0 and 1 fatalities.

The USGS classifies the economic impact of this earthquake at level GREEN (low). They expect an 90% likelyhood of between 0 and 1 million US Dollars in economic damage and impact.

Roughly 170 thousand people exposed to shaking

This earthquake may have been felt by around 170 thousand people. That is the expected population size of the area exposed to a level of shaking of II or higher on the Modified Mercalli scale according to the USGS.

Weak shaking and probably no damage may have been experienced by an estimated 172,500 people. At III, it is the highest MMI level this earthquake has caused.

People in 2 countries have been exposed to shaking. In Samoa , around 170 thousand people, with impact levels up to III (weak shaking, probably no damage).

People	MMI Level	Shaking	Damage
0	I	Not noticable	None
0	II	Very weak	None
172,500	III	Weak	Probably none
0	IV	Light	Likely none
0	V	Moderate	Very light
0	VI	Strong	Light
0	VII	Very Strong	Moderate
0	VIII	Severe	Moderate to heavy
0	IX	Violent	Heavy
0	X	Extreme	Very heavy

Nearby towns and cities

This earthquake may have been felt in Samoa . The closest significant population center near the earthquake is Apia in Tuamasaga, Samoa. Apia is located 246 kilometer (153 mi) southwest of the epicenter. Apia experienced an earthquake intensity (MMI Scale) of roughly III. That level implies weak shaking and probably no damage.

Overview of nearby places

Cities and Towns around the epicenter of this earthquake.
Distance	Place	Intensity (MMI)
246 km (153 mi) NE from epicenter	Apia Tuamasaga, Samoa.	III Weak
327 km (203 mi) E from epicenter	Pago Pago Eastern District, American Samoa.
344 km (214 mi) NW from epicenter	Mata-Utu Uvea, Wallis and Futuna.

Earthquake Intensity Map

The intensity in shaking and damage by this earthquake is illustrated through the map below. The highest intensity measured for this earthquake is IV.

I Not felt

II Weak

III Weak

IV Light

V Moderate

VI Strong

VII Very Strong

VIII Severe

IX Violent

X Extreme

Earthquake Intensity Map based on Shakemap Data provided by USGS.

Shaking reported by 9 people

People that feel an earthquake may report their experience to the US Geographic Survey. Currently, 9 people have reported shaking in 6 places, all within Samoa.We keep updating this article as more ground reports become available. You may report that you felt this earthquake here.

Places with most reports:

Niusuatia, Rest of Upolu, Samoa: 3 people.
Tulaele, North West Upolu, Samoa: 2 people.
Talimatau, North West Upolu, Samoa: 1 person.
Apia, Apia Urban Area, Samoa: 1 person.
Vavau, Rest of Upolu, Samoa: 1 person.
Sataoa Uta, Rest of Upolu, Samoa: 1 person.

Aftershocks detected

In the days before this main shock, 1 smaller foreshock was detected. Nearby this earthquake a foreshock struck 1 day earlier. It measured a magnitude of 4.8

Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks

Detected MAG2.5+ earthquakes within within 100km (62 mi), that occurred in the three days before and after the main shock.
Classification	Magnitude	When	Where
Foreshock	M 4.8	1 day earlier Apr 18, 2026 22:32 (Apia Time)	53 km (33 mi) E from Main Shock.
Main Shock This Earthquake	M 6.1	Apr 20, 2026 06:34 (Apia Time)	-

More earthquakes coming?

Earthquakes can create aftershocks. These are generally at least 1 magnitude lower than any main shock, and as time passes the chance and strength of aftershocks decreases.

It's always adviced to be cautious of the risk of a larger shock following any significant earthquake, however this risk is fairly small. There is a roughly 94 percent change that no larger main shock will follow in the days following this earthquake.

Read: How to Stay Safe during an Earthquake (cdc.gov).

Earthquakes like this are common in the region

Earthquakes of this strength occur quite regularly in the region. This is the strongest earthquake to hit since March 22nd, 2026, when a 6.3 magnitude earthquake hit 106 km (66 mi) further east. An even stronger magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck on May 10th, 2023.

In total, 9 earthquakes with a magnitude of 6.1 or higher have been registered within 300km (186 mi) of this epicenter in the past 10 years. This comes down to an average of once every year.

Low tsunami risk

DISCLAIMER: We strongly suggest to closely monitor advice from local authorities with regards to tsunami risks. Our analysis is based on automatically collected data from external sources, and these might contain mistakes. In addition, earthquakes can cause landslides that may lead to a tsunami, or be a followed by another, potentially stonger, earthquake.

Based on early data it appears this earthquake was not strong enough (lower than MAG-6.5) to be likely to cause destructive tsunami's. However this earthquake appeared to have hit at a shallow depth under sea, so stay cautious and monitor advice from local authorities.

Tsunami Risk Factors

Factor	Under Sea?	MAG-6.5 or stronger?	Shallow depth?
Explanation	Almost all tsunami's are caused by earthquakes with their epicenter under sea or very near the sea. However stay cautious in coastal areas as earthquakes on land may cause landslides into sea, potentially still causing a local tsunami.	Under MAG 6.5: Very unlikely to cause a tsunami. MAG 6.5 to 7.5: Destructive tsunami's do occur, but are uncommon. Likely to observe small sea level changes. MAG 7.6+: Earthquakes with these magnitudes might produce destructive tsunami's.	Most destructive tsunami's are caused by shallow earthquakes with a depth between 0 and 100km under the surface of the earth. Deeper tsunami's are unlikely to displace to ocean floor.
This Earthquake	This earthquake appears to have struck under the sea.	Not this earthquake. This earthquake had a magnitude of 6.1. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami.	This earthquake occurred at a depth of of 36 km (22 mi). Earthquakes this shallow could trigger a tsunami.

Sources

Last updated 20/04/26 01:08 (). This article contains currently available information about the earthquake and is automatically composed. We continue to update this article up to a few days after the earthquake occurred.