Texas rattled by one of largest earthquakes in state history
According to the USGS, the 5.1 magnitude quake hit Monday night near Midland, Texas.
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MIDLAND, Texas – One of the largest earthquakes in Texas history rattled the western side of the state Monday night.
According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the 5.1 magnitude quake struck at 7:49 p.m. local time about 30 miles to the north of Midland or about 22 miles to the west of Ackerly.
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This map from the USGS shows the epicenter of an earthquake that struck Texas on Sept. 16, 2024. (USGS)
USGS data showed that the quake was felt as far north as Amarillo, in the Texas Panhandle, and as far south as San Antonio – a span of nearly 500 miles. The strongest shaking was reported just north of Midland.
There were no immediate reports of damage.
There have been more than 100 earthquakes of varying intensities in Texas within the past week, according to TexNet’s Earthquake Catalog. The majority of them have happened in western Texas.
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Ranked among top 5 in state history
Monday’s quake is ranked among the strongest to have ever shaken the state, according to data from the Texas Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers.
The strongest temblor in Texas was a magnitude 6.0 that hit Valentine on Aug. 16, 1931, according to ASCE.
ASCE data shows that a magnitude of 5.1 places Monday’s quake just behind the fourth-strongest earthquake in state history – a 5.2 that struck Dalhart on March 12, 1948. At least two 5.2 magnitude quakes were also reported in 2023 in western Texas.
Monday's quake also represents the second 5.1 magnitude quake in Texas this year. According to data from TexNet, a temblor with the same magnitude hit just east of Snyder on July 26.