Calamity
mediumEarthquakeCalamity Score: 19

M 5.4 Earthquake

18h agoMadangPapua New GuineaSource: usgs

119 km SSE of Lorengau, Papua New Guinea

Geographic Context

This earthquake event occurred near Madang (approximately 330 km away) in Papua New Guinea, an area that experiences a range of natural hazards.

Event Assessment

This event is a moderate earthquake measuring 5.4 on the magnitude scale, with a focal depth of 10 km. Events of this magnitude are typically felt over a wide area and may cause damage to vulnerable structures. Calamity.live has classified it as "medium" severity with a severity value of 43.2. The computed Calamity Score is 19 out of 100, suggesting contained impact at this time. The primary scoring components are: historical (80), intensity (28). Data for this event was sourced from usgs, one of the 250 scientific monitoring sources aggregated by Calamity.live.

Regional Monitoring Context

Papua New Guinea has a documented history of earthquake events. Seismic monitoring in the region draws on data from multiple agencies including USGS, EMSC, and regional networks. Understanding local seismicity helps emergency management agencies plan for potential future events and assess building code adequacy. Earthquake hazard in any region depends on fault proximity, soil conditions, and building vulnerability — factors that can vary significantly even within a single metropolitan area.

Cascade Risk Analysis

This event may trigger secondary hazards through cascade effects. Cascade detection is an automated process that evaluates how primary disasters can trigger secondary events — for example, earthquakes triggering landslides, or volcanic eruptions causing lahars and pyroclastic flows. These secondary hazards can sometimes pose a greater threat than the initial event, particularly in mountainous terrain or densely populated areas.

Event Data

TypeEarthquake
Severitymedium
Severity Value43.2
Calamity Score19 / 100
Confidence65%
Coordinates-2.9915, 147.7607
Nearest CityMadang (330 km)
Impact Tierminor
Timestamp2026-05-15T01:13:58.659Z
Sourcehttps://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/us6000sxu9

Score Breakdown

28
intensity
0
population
0
cascading
80
historical

Technical Details

Mag5.4
Depth10
Tsunamifalse
Mmi3.859
Alertgreen
Sig449
Emsc Mag5.4
Emsc Depth-10
Emsc MagTypemw
Emsc RegionADMIRALTY ISLANDS REGION, P.N.G.
Emsc AuthNEIC
Emsc SourceId1995097
MergedSources[{"id":"emsc_20260515_0000015","source":"emsc","severity":"medium","severityValue":43.2,"timestamp":1778807638659,"latitude":-2.9915,"longitude":147.7607}]

Cascade Risks

cascade

Safety Information

If you feel shaking: Drop, Cover, and Hold On. Move away from windows, heavy objects, and exterior walls. After shaking stops, check for injuries and structural damage. Be prepared for aftershocks, which can occur minutes to months after the mainshock. Follow instructions from local emergency management authorities.

This data is aggregated algorithmically from scientific sources. Not a replacement for official emergency warnings.

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Calamity.live data shows a earthquake event with CalamityScore 19/100, near Madang (Papua New Guinea), based on data from usgs. Source: Calamity.live, a platform aggregating real-time data from 207 scientific monitoring sources.