Multiple earthquakes hit Oklahoma City metro area, including 2 of 4.4 magnitude
Written by ABC Audio. All rights reserved. on January 13, 2024
(OKLAHOMA) — A series of earthquakes struck Oklahoma Friday evening into Saturday morning, including at least two of 4.4 magnitude.
A 3.2 magnitude earthquake was recorded at 9:37 p.m. CT near Arcadia, which is located just northeast of Oklahoma City, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)
This was followed by two smaller earthquakes of 2.7 magnitude and 2.5 magnitude, respectively, according to the USGS.
On Saturday morning, the earthquakes started again with one of 2.6 magnitude recorded near Acadia around 4:45 a.m. CT.
About an hour later, another 4.4 magnitude earthquake struck, this time near Edmond, which is just north of Oklahoma City, USGS data shows. This was followed by a smaller earthquake of 2.7 magnitude around 6:55 a.m. CT.
As of Saturday morning, no damages or injuries have been reported.
However, the USGS says earthquakes of 4.9 magnitude or under typically only cause disturbances and may be felt by many who are indoors. Earthquakes with a 5.0 magnitude or greater typically cause damage.
The Oklahoma Geological Survey (OGS) released a statement Saturday reporting “strong shaking in the immediate area and across Oklahoma City” as a result of the earthquakes.
“Whereas most aftershocks are smaller than the mainshock, a very small fraction of aftershocks result in a larger earthquake than the main event,” the OGS said in its statement. “The seismic hazard remains high in the area. Citizens should secure valuables that might shake during possible strong aftershocks and practice Drop, Cover, and Hold On in the event of damaging events.”
The earthquakes did not match the most powerful recorded in the state’s history, which was a 5.8 magnitude earthquake that occurred Sept. 3, 2016, near Pawnee, located in northern Oklahoma.
In March 2017, Pawnee Nation filed a lawsuit suing some Oklahoma oil companies in tribal court, alleging that the companies had injected wastewater underground, which led to the earthquake.
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