Strong M6.0 earthquake hits Samar, Philippines
A strong earthquake registered by the USGS as M6.0 hit Samar, Philippines, at 06:09 UTC (14:09 LT) on May 4, 2026. The agency is reporting a depth of 73.3 km (45.5 miles). EMSC is reporting M6.0 at a depth of 56 km (34.8 miles).
Epicenter of M6.0 earthquake in Samar, Philippines on May 4, 2026. Credit: TW/SAM, Google
The epicenter was located 5.2 km (3.2 miles) WNW of Nena (population 2 276), 20 km (12.4 miles) SSE of Borongan (population 16 484), 53 km (33 miles) E of Catbalogan (population 68 081), 71 km (44 miles) NE of Panalanoy (population 189 090), and 230 km (142 miles) NE of Cebu City (population 964 169), Philippines.
There is no tsunami threat from this earthquake.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) reported the quake as M6.0 at a depth of 56 km (34.8 miles) and of tectonic origin.
The strongest reported intensity was V in the City of Tacloban. The agency said damage and aftershocks are expected.
Little or no landsliding and liquefaction is expected, but some could have occurred in highly susceptible areas, according to USGS estimates.
Regional seismicity
References:
1 M6.0 earthquake Samar, Philippines – USGS – May 4, 2026
2 M6.0 earthquake Samar, Philippines – EMSC – May 4, 2026
3 M6.0 earthquake Samar, Philippines – PHIVOLCS – May 4, 2026
Teo Blašković founded The Watchers in 2011 and edited it until 2026, covering seismic and volcanic activity, extreme weather, space weather and near-Earth objects. Articles on this page are his archive.
