A magnitude 4.5 earthquake rocked north-central Oklahoma today at 11:27 p.m. – the strongest and latest in a series of tremors that have been rattling the state for months. The US Geological Survey reports that the epicenter was near Pawnee, some 70 miles northeast of Oklahoma City.
This was the fifth earthquake of the day in the state that registered at least a 2.0 magnitude, according to Tulsa World. It was first rated a 4.1 quake, but was revised around midnight. Three smaller shocks were recorded earlier, from 7:00 to 7:48 p.m.: a 3.0 magnitude near Hennessey, a 3.3 magnitude near El Reno and a 3.2 magnitude, the USGS says.
There was a 2.3 magnitude tremor near Luther on Tuesday, and a magnitude 3.3 earthquake was recorded, also near Pawnee, last Saturday, ABC News reports.
Pawnee Police say that initial assessments show no significant damage to structures or buildings, and no casualties have been reported so far.
Social media feeds say that the most recent quake could be felt as far away as Kansas City and St. Joseph, Missouri. Residents of Tulsa, the second-largest city in Oklahoma, about 60 miles east of Pawnee, also took to social media to describe how their walls were shaking and items inside their homes were moving.
Before Saturday, the state experienced a 5.6 earthquake two months ago – one of the strongest earthquakes ever recorded in Oklahoma. The incident heightened growing concerns about seismic activity associated with oil and gas well, Reuters reports.
Strong earthquakes in Oklahoma – those at magnitude 3.0 and stronger – have been linked to the underground disposal of waste material from oil and natural gas production in the area. Since energy production increased, more and more earthquakes have been occurring, raising concerns about public health and safety.
State officials have ordered some of these disposal wells to be permanently shut down, and required others to reduce the volume of waste water thy pump underground to prevent more tremors from happening.
