One of the strongest earthquakes in Texas history struck the western part of the state, home to oil and fracking, on Friday night. No damage or injuries were immediately reported. The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake had a magnitude of 5.4 and struck at 5:35 p.m. local time. It was centered about 14 miles (22 kilometers) north-northwest of Midland, with a depth of about 5.6 miles (9 kilometers).
The agency previously released a preliminary size of 5.3 before updating it. Meanwhile, the Midland office of the National Weather Service tweeted that “this would be the fourth largest earthquake in Texas history!” Geophysicist Jana Pursley of the USGS National Earthquake Information Center in Colorado said the quake was felt by more than 1,500 people as far away as Amarillo and Abilene, Texas, as far west as Carlsbad, New York, according to initial reports received by the agency Mexico. “It’s a big earthquake for this area,” Pursley said, adding, “In this area, an event like this will be felt for hundreds of miles.”
Earthquake struck West Texas
The quake was followed shortly after by a less intense tremor, and Pursley said there could be more with decreasing magnitude. “I haven’t received any damage information, but stucco or driveways near the epicenter may crack,” she added. An earthquake of similar magnitude struck West Texas a month ago. The November 16 quake measured 5.3 and was centered about 95 miles (153 kilometers) west of Midland.
