Magnitude 5.0 Earthquake Strikes Oklahoma; Shaking Felt in Nearby States

CUSHING, OK — A magnitude 5.0 earthquake struck near Cushing, Oklahoma, on Sunday, and residents in nearby states reported feeling shaking from the temblor. About 40 residents were evacuated from a retirement home due to the earthquake, and schools were closed Monday to assess damage and assure the safety of students.

The earthquake struck roughly 2 kilometers west of the town of Cushing, which is located 25 miles south of Pawnee, the town where another major earthquake struck in early September. That quake, a magnitude 5.6, was the strongest to hit the state since November 2011.

According to the Oklahoma Geological Survey, the area where the 5.0 quake struck has been an active zone of seismicity since 2015. The quake has triggered several aftershocks of magnitudes less than 3.

The Oklahoma Corporate Commission said in a statement that it is working on an action plan to further modify Arbuckle disposal well operations in the area of the earthquake. Normal operation has resumed for pipeline operators in the Cushing oil storage terminal under state jurisdiction. Following the September earthquake, approximately 37 disposal wells were ordered to be shut down.

Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin tweeted that the Oklahoma Corporate Commission said there were no immediate reports of problems in the Cushing oil storage terminal under state jurisdiction. The Oklahoma Department of Transportation has not found any damage to bridges in the area of the earthquake.

Earthquakes in Oklahoma are not uncommon. According to data from the government, the state experienced 907 magnitude 3-plus earthquakes in 2015 alone. The swarm of earthquakes in Oklahoma has been linked to underground wastewater disposal from oil and natural gas production.

Patch will update this report.

Image Screenshot via USGS