A magnitude 5.0 earthquake struck the Texas Panhandle early Thursday morning, one of the strongest earthquakes ever recorded in Texas.
The earthquake’s effects were felt throughout rural areas and as far away as southern Oklahoma and New Mexico.
The quake struck at 5:21 a.m. nearly 24 miles south-southeast of Spearman near the top of the Texas-Oklahoma border, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Spearman residents said on social media that the quake shook their homes. Some people in Oklahoma City, nearly 250 miles away, reported feeling the effects of the quake.
So far, there have been no reports of structural damage or injuries. The USGS expects economic damage to be minimal.
AJ Harrel, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Amarillo, said the earthquake originated in northwest Roberts County, nearly 50 miles south of Spearman. Harrell said Thursday’s earthquake was stronger than what they typically see in the area.
“We’ve had smaller earthquakes in the last year or two,” Harrell said. “It does happen here, it just doesn’t happen often.”
In the past five years, Texas has experienced seven earthquakes of magnitude 5.0 or greater. According to Earthquake Tracker, Spearman’s earthquake was the sixth largest in Texas history.
Last year, West Texas was rocked by two of the largest earthquakes in the state’s history. Earthquakes in the region have been attributed to an increase in hydraulic fracturing in the area. It’s unclear what caused the earthquake in the Panhandle.
“The Texas Panhandle has some small fault lines that can cause weak to moderate earthquakes,” Harrell said. “They just don’t happen very often.”
This article first appeared in The Texas Tribune.
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