November 7th, 2011
10:30 AM ET

Oklahoma can expect more quake aftershocks, USGS says

Aftershocks from Saturday's 5.6-magnitude earthquake in Oklahoma are likely to continue for weeks or even months, the U.S. Geological Survey says, but rattled residents can expect them to decrease in intensity.

The USGS says dozens of aftershocks from the temblor, and a 4.7-magnitude foreshock, have been recorded since the 5.6 quake hit at 10:53 CT Saturday night.

The Oklahoma Geological Survey says the quake was the largest ever to strike in the state, topping a 5.5-magnitude temblor that struck on April 9, 1952.

Saturday's quake was centered about four miles east of Sparks, in Lincoln County, Oklahoma. The USGS says on its website that it has not been able to determine what fault line the quake occurred on, but scientists are focusing on the Wilzetta fault, which they describe as one of a series of small faults that formed in the area about 300 million years ago. If the Wilzetta fault did rupture Saturday, it would be the first time a surface-rupturing quake has been recorded on it.

All previous surface-rupturing quakes in Oklahoma have occurred on the Meers fault, in the south-central portion of the state, the USGS says.

Damage from Saturday's quake was slight, with The Oklahoman newspaper reporting minor damage to 12 homes and a buckling of U.S. Highway 62 near the epicenter in Lincoln County.

But the quake was anything but minor to one couple whose home sits near the epicenter. The chimney of Joe and Mary Reneau's home came crashing through their roof in Prague, Oklahoma, CNN affiliate KJRH-TV reported.

"Wham! It wasn't just a sudden bang,” Joe Reneau told KJRH. “This house was rocking and rolling."

But it wasn't just people that the quake stirred up. Birds and bugs were so rattled that they took to flight in massive numbers, enough to show up the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's weather radar, CNN affiliate KTUL-TV reported. Check out the radar images here.

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Filed under: Earthquake • Natural Disasters • Oklahoma
soundoff (341 Responses)
  1. Randy from Tulsa

    Earl,fair,and Tim- I'm not Athiest I'm agnostic..There is a difference. Do your homework before you wag your tongues

    November 7, 2011 at 8:46 pm | Report abuse |
  2. cdub

    Unless I'm an idiot, I believe an aftershock just hit Stillwater at about 8:49 pm

    November 7, 2011 at 9:51 pm | Report abuse |
    • jmarm

      Same time here in Edmond. Danforth and Boulevard.The entire house shifted side to side for a good 8 seconds.

      November 7, 2011 at 10:02 pm | Report abuse |
    • kelly

      yes.. me too.. same time... sounded like thunder and wind and walls creaked then t.v. and bed i was on started
      little shaking motion and kept doing if for a minute or so and my dog started acting weird.. wow.. I missed the
      other ones.. asleep and driving and never felt them.. this was my first time to feel one.. i thought at first.. well
      the wind is picking up and thunder.. guess we are getting some of the storm stuff after all.. and walls creaking.. I thought wow the wind is really blowing hard.. then thunder turned into a sound like a truck was driving by house.. and i noticed the t.v. going side to side and felt bed vibrating and realized .. it was a little earthquake.. wow .. i stood up and could just barely feel it rumble in floor under my feet.. and t.v. was still doing the side to side thing just getting weaker until it all just faded away.. and i was thinking.. "did this just happen?" ... how weird.. I bet a big one is scary!

      November 7, 2011 at 10:29 pm | Report abuse |
    • Cathi

      You're not an idiot. We felt it here in Mounds (just south of Tulsa) too.

      November 7, 2011 at 10:53 pm | Report abuse |
    • Jennifer

      Felt it in Haskell County too

      November 7, 2011 at 11:25 pm | Report abuse |
    • brandon

      I felt strong aftershock here in manhattan ks around 850pm tonight.....only lasted a min or so

      November 8, 2011 at 12:09 am | Report abuse |
  3. lipsofscarlett

    I bet you are right cdub, I am in Little Rock, Arkansas and just felt it...

    November 7, 2011 at 9:58 pm | Report abuse |
  4. lipsofscarlett

    I was just sitting in my desk chair on the 8th floor of a high rise in Little Rocki and my chair started rocking. I felt the one Sat. night too. This is wild....

    November 7, 2011 at 10:00 pm | Report abuse |
  5. t l t

    I live in Branson, MO, & I felt something at that same time.

    November 7, 2011 at 10:09 pm | Report abuse |
  6. Cordes Giger

    Here in Muskogee, felt the shaking, not as long nor as strong shaking as Saturday

    November 7, 2011 at 10:09 pm | Report abuse |
  7. athena

    We felt it here in Iowa as well.

    November 7, 2011 at 10:13 pm | Report abuse |
  8. trish

    we just had number 29 and it was a 4.7 according to travis meyer. on ktul.com. he says we are under a tornado watch, had a earthquake and sever thunderstorm watch all at the same time. First time in history~
    Grand Lake shook it tonight about ten til nine~

    November 7, 2011 at 10:22 pm | Report abuse |
  9. Pumpkinhead

    well sooooo much for them decreasing in intensity lol a 4.7 Monday night lol

    November 8, 2011 at 12:20 am | Report abuse |
  10. s kel

    People in southern cali, again cannot handle tornadoes, snow of any kind, real cold weather(not just the chilly nights when it may drop to 32 degrees but 0 and below during the day) hurricanes, rain( they panic) rain in the summer. That said tell another smug so cal remark with this info.

    November 8, 2011 at 12:22 am | Report abuse |
  11. Author Charlieg

    The question is, is this and the shocks that hit Maryland related to the New Madrid fault, and if so...

    November 8, 2011 at 2:18 am | Report abuse |
  12. dudley0415

    It was a 'sympathetic temblor,' following the OU shock at the hands of T-Tech.

    November 8, 2011 at 2:49 am | Report abuse |
  13. Rituparno

    Geologists still have no explanation for why such intense earthquakes are rattling the state. See how this intense earthquake will change the climate – http://liveoncampus.com/wire/show/3115899?utm_source=blog&utm_medium=Seeding&utm_campaign=Ritu

    November 8, 2011 at 4:21 am | Report abuse |
  14. ma & pa

    to Ralf The Dog...SONIC then AHMUUHT

    November 8, 2011 at 1:21 pm | Report abuse |
  15. ma & pa

    Commenters, good to hear you..smiles here. Old Driller and Malborg you have good sense in your comments, we pretty much agree. Saves us commenting and ouching our thummies on this little bitty keyboard.

    November 8, 2011 at 2:36 pm | Report abuse |
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