‘Lives devastated’: Extent of damage from South Kona earthquake remains in focus: Big Island Now

New and additional details were reported Tuesday, May 26, about damage from the large 6.0 magnitude earthquake that occurred just before 10 p.m. on Friday, May 22, in South Kona on the west side of the Big Island.

Hawaii County Civil Defense told Honolulu media outlet KHON2 on Tuesday, May 26, that it received 143 reports of damage from the earthquake, 34 of which were from properties that sustained major damage — including 5 destroyed homes.

Those destroyed homes suffered from foundation problems.

A home was damaged by a large 6.0 magnitude earthquake that occurred just before 10 p.m. on Friday, May 22, 2026, in South Kona on the west side of the Big Island. (Photo courtesy: County of Hawaii Facebook page)

Grace Ray, a third-grade teacher at Konawaena Elementary School, and her family — including her husband, who works as a nurse at Kona Community Hospital, and her son, who just graduated from the University of Hawaii at Hilo — are among those severely affected by the quake.

“Our dry foundation, [built] About 1950, it fell into our basement. We have cracks in the ceiling and floor and our doors won’t close,” Ray said in an email Tuesday to Big Island Now. “We are not sure if the structure can be saved or how we will afford the repairs. We just heard back from our insurance agency, which [says] We didn’t have earthquake coverage in our policy.

The county told media on Oahu that it is working with Vibrant Hawai’i and the American Red Cross to help those in need of immediate housing and other assistance.

The epicenter of the quake was about 8 miles south of Hōnaunau-Nāpōʻopoʻo and at a depth of about 14 miles below sea level on the west side of Mauna Loa Volcano.

The extent of the damage began to come into focus on Saturday, May 23, and continues to emerge as the island clears from what scientists have confirmed is the strongest earthquake since 2018 to hit Hawaii and one of the strongest earthquakes recorded since the 1950s in the Honaunau region.

“We’ll get more information tomorrow morning as we get all of our managers together for an update,” Hawaii County Sheriff Kimo Alameda told KHON2 on Tuesday. “We’re getting a lot of reports from the South Kona area, but it’s coming more evenly geographically now as we speak,” adding that he would have additional information on Wednesday, May 27, after an 8 a.m. emergency update meeting with department directors.

The mayor plans to seek federal support, and told Honolulu media that he will also sign an emergency declaration Wednesday morning.

The County of Hawaii urges everyone – residents and businesses – who suffered damage from the earthquake, regardless of level, to file a report with Civil Defense.

Damage reports – with photos – can be submitted online at these links:

People and families who need assistance due to the earthquake can also complete a request for assistance through Vibrant Hawai’i.

Residents can contact Hawaii County Civil Defense at 808-935-0031 for additional information, if they have any questions or if they do not have access to a computer or the Internet and need to file a damage report.

In a video posted early Saturday morning, May 23, 2026, on social media, Hawaii County Mayor Kimo Alameda discusses some of the first reports of damage from a large 6.0 magnitude earthquake that struck just before 10 p.m. Friday, May 22, 2026, on the west side of the Big Island. (Screenshot: Hawaii County video)

“This wasn’t normal. This thing was like a jackhammer. … I’ve never felt anything like that, and I’m … still a little shaken up from it,” Papa Bay resident Kevin Tadlock told KHON2. “I’m here trying to blow the whistle and say we need help… because there are some homes here and people whose lives have been destroyed, and I don’t know how this is going to be fixed.”

News reporter Nathan Christoffel contributed to this report.

What Are The Main Benefits Of Comparing Car Insurance Quotes Online

LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / June 24, 2020, / Compare-autoinsurance.Org has launched a new blog post that presents the main benefits of comparing multiple car insurance quotes. For more info and free online quotes, please visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/the-advantages-of-comparing-prices-with-car-insurance-quotes-online/ The modern society has numerous technological advantages. One important advantage is the speed at which information is sent and received. With the help of the internet, the shopping habits of many persons have drastically changed. The car insurance industry hasn't remained untouched by these changes. On the internet, drivers can compare insurance prices and find out which sellers have the best offers. View photos The advantages of comparing online car insurance quotes are the following: Online quotes can be obtained from anywhere and at any time. Unlike physical insurance agencies, websites don't have a specific schedule and they are available at any time. Drivers that have busy working schedules, can compare quotes from anywhere and at any time, even at midnight. Multiple choices. Almost all insurance providers, no matter if they are well-known brands or just local insurers, have an online presence. Online quotes will allow policyholders the chance to discover multiple insurance companies and check their prices. Drivers are no longer required to get quotes from just a few known insurance companies. Also, local and regional insurers can provide lower insurance rates for the same services. Accurate insurance estimates. Online quotes can only be accurate if the customers provide accurate and real info about their car models and driving history. Lying about past driving incidents can make the price estimates to be lower, but when dealing with an insurance company lying to them is useless. Usually, insurance companies will do research about a potential customer before granting him coverage. Online quotes can be sorted easily. Although drivers are recommended to not choose a policy just based on its price, drivers can easily sort quotes by insurance price. Using brokerage websites will allow drivers to get quotes from multiple insurers, thus making the comparison faster and easier. For additional info, money-saving tips, and free car insurance quotes, visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ Compare-autoinsurance.Org is an online provider of life, home, health, and auto insurance quotes. This website is unique because it does not simply stick to one kind of insurance provider, but brings the clients the best deals from many different online insurance carriers. In this way, clients have access to offers from multiple carriers all in one place: this website. On this site, customers have access to quotes for insurance plans from various agencies, such as local or nationwide agencies, brand names insurance companies, etc. "Online quotes can easily help drivers obtain better car insurance deals. All they have to do is to complete an online form with accurate and real info, then compare prices", said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company. CONTACT: Company Name: Internet Marketing CompanyPerson for contact Name: Gurgu CPhone Number: (818) 359-3898Email: [email protected]: https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ SOURCE: Compare-autoinsurance.Org View source version on accesswire.Com:https://www.Accesswire.Com/595055/What-Are-The-Main-Benefits-Of-Comparing-Car-Insurance-Quotes-Online View photos