Shallow M5.7 Earthquake hit in the Coral Sea near Port-Vila (Vanuatu) on Tuesday Afternoon.

Written by Earthquakelist.org on May 19th, 2026.

In the early afternoon of Tuesday May 19th, 2026, a shallow and significant MAG-5.7 earthquake hit in the Coral Sea 52 kilometer from Port-Vila, Vanuatu. Shaking may have been felt by a total of 180 thousand people.

Earthquake Summary

This earthquake hit under water in the Coral Sea, 45 kilometers (28 mi) off the coast of Vanuatu, 52 kilometer southwest of Port-Vila in Shefa. The center of this earthquake had a quite shallow depth of 27 km. Shallow earthquakes usually have a larger impact than earthquakes deep in the earth.

Date and Time:	May 19, 2026 01:29PM (Efate Time) - May 19, 2026 02:29 Universal Time.
Location:	52 km SW of Port-Vila, Shefa, Vanuatu. Coordinates 18°9'4"S 168°5'35"E.
Map:	Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps.
Magnitude:	MAG 5.7 Detected by 33 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.054 .
Depth:	27 km (17 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 180 thousand people exposed to shaking

This earthquake may have been felt by around 180 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.

An estimated 82,680 people were exposed to level IV. At this level, light shaking and likely no damage can be expected. All exposure to shaking was within the borders of Vanuatu .

People	MMI Level	Shaking	Damage
0	I	Not noticable	None
11,900	II	Very weak	None
80,510	III	Weak	Probably none
82,680	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 Vanuatu . The closest significant population center near the earthquake is Port-Vila in Shefa, Vanuatu. Port-Vila is located 52 kilometer (32 mi) southwest of the epicenter. The intensity of shaking and damage in Port-Vila is estimated to be around level IV on the Modified Mercalli Intensity scale (light shaking, likely no damage).

Overview of nearby places

Cities and Towns around the epicenter of this earthquake.
Distance	Place	Intensity (MMI)
52 km (32 mi) NE from epicenter	Port-Vila Shefa, Vanuatu.	IV Light

Earthquake Intensity Map

The maximum intensity (MMI Scale) caused by this earthquake is IV. The map below shows in which areas this earthquake was the most and least impactful. It is based on data from the US Geographic Survey.

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 one place in Vanuatu.We keep updating this article as more ground reports become available. You may report that you felt this earthquake here.

Places with most reports:

Vila, Shefa, Vanuatu: 9 people.

Aftershocks detected

Before this earthquake struck, 1 smaller foreshock occurred. A 4.9 magnitude earthquake hit 2 days earlier nearby.

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 4.9	2 days earlier May 17, 2026 02:35AM (Efate Time)	87 km (54 mi) E from Main Shock.
Main Shock This Earthquake	M 5.7	May 19, 2026 01:29PM (Efate 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.

The chance that a significant earthquake like this one is followed by an even larger earthquake is not so large. On average, scientists estimate a 94% chance that a major earthquake will not be followed by an even larger one. It is still adviced to be aware of this risk

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

Earthquakes like this happen often in the region

Earthquakes of this strength are very common in the region. This is the strongest earthquake to hit since March 20th, 2026, when a 6.1 magnitude earthquake hit 129 km (80 mi) further south. An even stronger magnitude 7.3 earthquake struck on December 17th, 2024.

In total, 55 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.7 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 2 months.

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 5.7. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami.	This earthquake occurred at a depth of of 27 km (17 mi). Earthquakes this shallow could trigger a tsunami.

Sources

Last updated 19/05/26 04:58 (). This article is automatically generated based on available data. We keep checking multiple sources for additional information. This article gets updated as new details on this earthquake become available.