M5.3

USGS earthquake · M5.343 km SSE of Otorohanga

🇳🇿 - New Zealand

· 6 days ago

Map centered on the earthquake at 43 km SSE of Otorohanga, New Zealand, with a marker at its epicenterTe KowhaiPukehinaNgahinapouriTe RoreHorotiuNgaruawahiaOpen in Apple Maps ↗
Shaking intensity
  1. II

Strongest contour: Weak (II). Modelled by USGS ShakeMap; contours show where shaking was expected to reach each level, not damage.

Depth286.0 km
Origin timeOct 15, 2026, 5:25 AM UTC
Coordinates-38.548, 175.381
Tsunami flagNot reported
Estimated shakingWeak (III)Modelled by USGS ShakeMap
Reported shakingWeak (III)From 9 public reports
Magnitude scaleMoment magnitude
SolutionReviewed by a seismologist
Who felt it

People in the shaking

In the modelled area698,000
At light shaking or aboveNone modelled
  1. IIIWeak20,000
  2. IIWeak678,000
Nearby towns and the shaking modelled for each
PlacePopulationShaking
Te Kowhai520III
Pukehina2,000III
Ngahinapouri195III
Te Rore144II
Horotiu624II
Ngaruawahia7,000II
Gordonton2,000II
Whatawhata303II

Past earthquakes here. A magnitude 6.5 earthquake 142 km n of this event struck Edgecumbe, New Zealand on March 2, 1987 (UTC), with estimated population exposures of 14,000 at intensity VII and 16,000 at intensity VIII, resulting in a reported 1 fatality.

Local buildings. Overall, the population in this region resides in structures that are highly resistant to earthquake shaking, though some vulnerable structures exist. The predominant vulnerable building types are reinforced masonry and unreinforced brick with timber floor construction.

Population and intensity modelled by USGS PAGER. Estimates, not a count of people affected.

Official source

U.S. Geological Survey

Terremoto preserves this event snapshot for a stable public link. USGS remains the authoritative source for revisions and scientific details. Shaking contours and population estimates come from USGS ShakeMap and PAGER, which revise them as more data arrives.

View the USGS record ↗