HONOLULU -- An earthquake startled Big Island residents Friday morning.

The quake struck at 5:49 a.m. at a 5.2 magnitude, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

The quake's epicenter was about 13 miles north-northeast of Laupahoehoe. That put it about 8 miles off shore and 30 miles from Hilo.

Callers to KITV 4's newsroom said the quake lasted for about 30 seconds.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said no tsunami was expected.

Residents as far away as Molokai, Maui and Oahu said they could feel the temblor.

Big Island police said there have been no reports of damage or injury.

Carson Elizares of Laupahoehoe on the Big Island said there was a violent shaking for about 15 seconds followed by about 15 more seconds of milder shaking. He said his whole house shook and made a loud noise.

Other residents said the quake shook pictures off of shelves.

In Kaiwiki, near Hilo, some residents were reading about another big earthquake that hit the island in 1868 in the daily newspaper when Friday's temblor hit.

"I was reading it and the room started to shake. (It was) so realistic, it felt like I'm there; maybe get out of here," Kaiwiki resident Dave Legge said.

It was the strongest quake in 32 years.

Stuart Weinstein at the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said small earthquakes on the Big Island occur on a continual basis.

"The vast majority of these, no one ever feels. But, they are detected by seismic instruments so we routinely locate two or three of those per day," Weinstein said.

Statistics from the U.S. Geological Survey indicate in the past four years there have been as few as 26 Big Island earthquakes in a week and as many as 230. Those numbers include inland and offshore quakes.