Home › Live Quakes › Loyalty Islands M6.6
M6.6 earthquake 80 km ENE of Tadine, New Caledonia (Loyalty Islands), Sept. 25, 2026
As of Sep 26, 2026, 3:27 PM CT. Observed data only; this page does not forecast earthquakes.
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) reports a magnitude 6.6 (mww) earthquake 80 km ENE of Tadine, New Caledonia, in the Loyalty Islands east of New Caledonia's main island. USGS event ID us6000txpi (status: reviewed).
- Magnitude
- M6.6 (mww)
- Location
- 80 km ENE of Tadine, New Caledonia
- Coordinates
- -21.2982, 168.6100
- Depth
- 10 km (6.2 mi)
- UTC
- Sep 25, 2026 9:23 PM UTC
- Pacific
- Sep 25, 2026 2:23 PM PDT
- Central
- Sep 25, 2026 4:23 PM CDT
- Eastern
- Sep 25, 2026 5:23 PM EDT
- New Caledonia
- Sep 26, 2026 8:23 AM UTC+11
- PAGER alert
- Green (shaking-related fatalities and economic losses)
- Tsunami
- USGS tsunami flag 0
Tsunami status
USGS did not flag a tsunami (tsunami flag 0). The NWS Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC) issued Tsunami Information Statement No. 1 at 21:31 UTC on Sept. 25 (11:31 AM HST), using a preliminary magnitude of 7.0. For Hawaii it said: "a destructive Pacific-wide tsunami is not expected and there is no tsunami threat to Hawaii" (PTWC statement for Hawaii). A companion statement for Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands said there was no tsunami threat to Guam, Rota, Tinian or Saipan (PTWC statement for Guam/CNMI). USGS later revised the magnitude to 6.6.
Local media outlet La Voix du Caillou reported the quake was felt in the Loyalty Islands and on Grande Terre, including Nouméa, and that New Caledonia's civil-security directorate (DSCGR) said no destructive-tsunami risk was established for New Caledonia, while advising people to avoid the shoreline.
Map
Epicenter: 21.2982°S, 168.6100°E (-21.2982, 168.6100). View larger map
Aftershocks
As of Sep 26, 2026, 3:27 PM CT, the USGS catalog lists 21 aftershocks of M4.5 or larger within 150 km of the epicenter since the mainshock. The largest is M5.5 at Sep 25, 2026 6:39 PM CDT (Sep 25, 2026 11:39 PM UTC), 61 km ENE of Tadine, New Caledonia. 11 of the aftershocks are M5.0 or larger.
| Day | M4.5+ aftershocks |
|---|---|
| Sep 25 (CT) | 5 |
| Sep 26 (CT) | 16 |
By UTC date: Sep 25: 4, Sep 26: 17. Source: USGS catalog query.
M5.0+ aftershocks
| Mag | Central time | UTC | USGS location |
|---|---|---|---|
| M5.1 | Sep 25, 2026 5:07 PM CDT | Sep 25, 2026 10:07 PM | 78 km ENE of Tadine, New Caledonia |
| M5.5 | Sep 25, 2026 6:39 PM CDT | Sep 25, 2026 11:39 PM | 61 km ENE of Tadine, New Caledonia |
| M5.4 | Sep 25, 2026 6:52 PM CDT | Sep 25, 2026 11:52 PM | 69 km ENE of Tadine, New Caledonia |
| M5.3 | Sep 25, 2026 8:10 PM CDT | Sep 26, 2026 1:10 AM | 58 km ENE of Tadine, New Caledonia |
| M5.1 | Sep 26, 2026 12:50 AM CDT | Sep 26, 2026 5:50 AM | 64 km ENE of Tadine, New Caledonia |
| M5.1 | Sep 26, 2026 2:08 AM CDT | Sep 26, 2026 7:08 AM | 68 km NE of Tadine, New Caledonia |
| M5.0 | Sep 26, 2026 2:22 AM CDT | Sep 26, 2026 7:22 AM | 84 km ENE of Tadine, New Caledonia |
| M5.0 | Sep 26, 2026 3:24 AM CDT | Sep 26, 2026 8:24 AM | 78 km ENE of Tadine, New Caledonia |
| M5.0 | Sep 26, 2026 7:14 AM CDT | Sep 26, 2026 12:14 PM | 76 km NE of Tadine, New Caledonia |
| M5.2 | Sep 26, 2026 7:14 AM CDT | Sep 26, 2026 12:14 PM | 58 km NE of Tadine, New Caledonia |
| M5.1 | Sep 26, 2026 10:01 AM CDT | Sep 26, 2026 3:01 PM | 74 km ENE of Tadine, New Caledonia |
The mainshock released about 45 times the energy of the largest aftershock (M6.6 vs M5.5; each whole magnitude step is about 32 times the energy).
Population exposed (USGS PAGER)
USGS PAGER estimates these population exposures by Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI). PAGER's comment: "Green alert for shaking-related fatalities and economic losses. There is a low likelihood of casualties and damage."
| Intensity | Total | New Caledonia | Vanuatu |
|---|---|---|---|
| MMI IV | 6,870 | 4,269 | 2,601 |
| MMI V | 4,343 | 4,343 | 0 |
| MMI VI | 342 | 342 | 0 |
| Total, MMI II+ | 11,555 | 8,954 | 2,601 |
PAGER lists no one at MMI VII or higher and no counts at MMI II-III. PAGER counts only people inside the ShakeMap grid (about -22.5° to -20.1° latitude, 167.3° to 169.9° E longitude). Nouméa, where DYFI reports came from, lies outside that grid, so the 11,555 total does not include everyone who felt the quake. Source: PAGER exposures.json, USGS PAGER page.
How far it was felt
USGS "Did You Feel It?" (DYFI) has 11 responses, with a maximum community intensity (CDI) of 6.9 (one report from the Tadine area, about 64 km away). The farthest responses came from the Nouméa area, about 250 km (155 mi) from the hypocenter, reporting intensity 2 to 3.6. USGS DYFI.
On the USGS ShakeMap, the MMI IV ("light") contour reaches up to about 143 km (89 mi) from the epicenter, MMI V up to about 79 km (49 mi), and MMI VI up to about 30 km (19 mi). USGS lists a maximum ShakeMap intensity of MMI 5.7; the modeled ShakeMap grid peaks at MMI 7.5 near the offshore epicenter, where PAGER counts no population. USGS ShakeMap.
Comparison with past quakes
Previous M5.5+ within 250 km: M5.6 on Sep 5, 2026 (CT), 89 km ESE of Isangel, Vanuatu, about 233 km (145 mi) from this epicenter. This M6.6 released about 32 times more energy (a difference of 1.0 magnitude units). USGS event.
Largest within 250 km since 2000: M7.5 on Dec 4, 2018 (CT), 166 km ESE of Tadine, New Caledonia, about 111 km (69 mi) away. It released about 22 times more energy than this quake (difference 0.9). USGS event.
Recent M5.5+ quakes in this region (USGS)
The six most recent M5.5+ events within 250 km of -21.30, 168.61 before Sept. 25, 2026. Dates are in Central time. Notes come from USGS data only: PAGER alert, tsunami flag and USGS impact text.
| Date (CT) | Time (CT / PT) | Mag | Depth (km) | Location (USGS) | Damage / tsunami note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-09-05 | 12:02 PM CDT 10:02 AM PDT | M5.6 | 9 | 89 km ESE of Isangel, Vanuatu 233 km / 145 mi from this epicenter | No damage or tsunami reported by USGS (PAGER green, tsunami flag 0) |
| 2026-07-08 | 4:50 AM CDT 2:50 AM PDT | M5.8 | 13 | 91 km SSW of Isangel, Vanuatu 117 km / 72 mi from this epicenter | No damage or tsunami reported by USGS (PAGER green, tsunami flag 0) |
| 2026-03-19 | 9:30 PM CDT 7:30 PM PDT | M6.1 | 21 | 98 km WNW of Isangel, Vanuatu 226 km / 140 mi from this epicenter | No damage or tsunami reported by USGS (PAGER green, tsunami flag 0) |
| 2026-01-19 | 7:02 AM CST 5:02 AM PST | M6.0 | 11 | 277 km ESE of Tadine, New Caledonia 224 km / 139 mi from this epicenter | No damage or tsunami reported by USGS (PAGER green, tsunami flag 0) |
| 2025-05-06 | 12:45 PM CDT 10:45 AM PDT | M5.5 | 102 | 50 km SSE of Isangel, Vanuatu 174 km / 108 mi from this epicenter | No damage or tsunami reported by USGS (PAGER green, tsunami flag 0) |
| 2025-03-27 | 8:20 PM CDT 6:20 PM PDT | M5.7 | 37 | 61 km NW of Isangel, Vanuatu 233 km / 145 mi from this epicenter | No damage or tsunami reported by USGS (PAGER green, tsunami flag 0) |
Largest regional events for context
| Date (CT) | Time (CT / PT) | Mag | Depth (km) | Location (USGS) | Damage / tsunami note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-12-04 | 10:18 PM CST 8:18 PM PST | M7.5 | 10 | 166 km ESE of Tadine, New Caledonia 111 km / 69 mi from this epicenter | USGS: A tsunami with a recorded wave height of 2 meters damaged a school and several homes at Anelghowhat and Oumetch, Vanuatu. It was also recorded at Tanna, Vanuatu with a wave height of 72cm and observed in parts of the Loyality Islands. |
| 2021-02-10 | 7:19 AM CST 5:19 AM PST | M7.7 | 10 | southeast of the Loyalty Islands 369 km / 229 mi from this epicenter (outside the 250 km search radius) | USGS: A tsunami was generated with the following recorded wave heights in centimeters: 78 at Lenakel, Vanuatu; 75 on Great Barrier Island, 22 at North Cape and 20 at East Cape, New Zealand; 48 at Kingston, Norfolk Island; 29 at Ouinne, 19 on Lifou, 13 on Mare, New Caledonia; 5 at Suva, Fiji and at Funafuti, Tuvalu; 3 at Apia, Samoa. |
Sources
- USGS event page us6000txpi and event detail GeoJSON
- USGS aftershock query (M4.5+, 150 km)
- USGS PAGER population exposure
- USGS Did You Feel It? · USGS ShakeMap
- NWS PTWC Tsunami Information Statement (Hawaii) · (Guam/CNMI)
- La Voix du Caillou (Sept. 26, 2026)
More on Ring of Fire
- Live Quakes map (USGS feeds)
- What is an aftershock?
- How earthquake magnitude works
- Earthquake swarms explained
- Alerts and official warning sources
Also on Ring of Fire: M3.7 earthquake near Boonville, California (Sept. 25, 2026).