Earthquake in Oklahoma overnight felt locally

Residents of central Oklahoma are picking up after a  5.1 magnitude earthquake hit just east of Oklahoma City Friday night.

The earthquake hit Prague, Oklahoma, at 11:24 p.m., according to the United States Geological Survey. That’s roughly an 30 minutes from Oklahoma City’s eastern suburbs.

The temblor was felt by residents as far away as Topeka and Overland Park, Kansas and Fort Smith, Springdale, and Bentonville, Arkansas.

The USGS, says the earthquake was shallow—just 1.8 miles below the surface. Quakes that are close to the surface typically increase the intensity of shaking, making them much more noticeable than deeper quakes

At least six earthquakes, including two greater than magnitude 4.0, were recorded near Oklahoma City in January. In April, a magnitude 4.0 earthquake was among a series of six that struck the central Oklahoma town of Carney, about 40 miles northeast of Oklahoma City.

A 4.2 magnitude earthquake in Oklahoma in February 2021 was also felt in Kansas City and other areas hundreds of miles away.

While there has been speculation that fracking or, more likely, wastewater injection, has caused an increase in earthquakes in the last decade, the USGS says it’s part of a natural process of the earth.

“A temporary increase or decrease in seismicity is part of the normal fluctuation of earthquake rates,” the agency reports.

The USGS is asking residents in several states to report if they felt the quake.

–Dwight Widaman | Metro Voice