A 6.6 magnitude earthquake struck Hawaii at 7:07 a.m. local time on Sunday morning. More than 50 aftershocks have been felt throughout the islands. The quake was centered 24 miles below the west coast of the Big Island and 157 miles southeast of Honolulu. It was not strong enough to trigger a tsunami but is the biggest earthquake to hit Hawaii since 1983. The quake caused widespread power outages, structural damages to buildings and blocked roads; however, there are no reports of fatalities. Hawaii’s governor declared a statewide emergency as local agencies are working to restore power.
Richard Ohlsen, Episcopal Relief and Development’s Director of Domestic Disaster Preparedness and Response, has been in contact with the Rt. Rev. Richard S. O. Chang, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Hawaii. The diocese is assessing damage and will send ERD a detailed report of needs.
Please pray for people affected by this major earthquake.
To help people affected by this disaster, please make a donation to the Emergency Relief Fund at http://www.er-d.org/, or call 1-800-334-7626, ext. 5129. Gifts can be mailed to Episcopal Relief and Development "Emergency Relief Fund" P.O. Box 12043, Newark, NJ 07101.
Episcopal Relief and Development is the international relief and development agency of the Episcopal Church of the United States. An independent 501(c) (3) organization, ERD saves lives and builds hope in communities around the world. We provide emergency assistance in times of crisis and rebuild after disasters. We enable people to climb out of poverty by offering long-term solutions in the areas of food security and health care, including HIV/AIDS and malaria.
