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.
Earl,fair,and Tim- I'm not Athiest I'm agnostic..There is a difference. Do your homework before you wag your tongues
Unless I'm an idiot, I believe an aftershock just hit Stillwater at about 8:49 pm
Same time here in Edmond. Danforth and Boulevard.The entire house shifted side to side for a good 8 seconds.
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!
You're not an idiot. We felt it here in Mounds (just south of Tulsa) too.
Felt it in Haskell County too
I felt strong aftershock here in manhattan ks around 850pm tonight.....only lasted a min or so
I bet you are right cdub, I am in Little Rock, Arkansas and just felt it...
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....
I live in Branson, MO, & I felt something at that same time.
Here in Muskogee, felt the shaking, not as long nor as strong shaking as Saturday
We felt it here in Iowa as well.
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~
well sooooo much for them decreasing in intensity lol a 4.7 Monday night lol
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.
The question is, is this and the shocks that hit Maryland related to the New Madrid fault, and if so...
It was a 'sympathetic temblor,' following the OU shock at the hands of T-Tech.
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
to Ralf The Dog...SONIC then AHMUUHT
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.