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. Jesus

    The end is near

    November 7, 2011 at 12:00 pm | Report abuse |
    • mjluck

      cue thunder and lightning

      November 7, 2011 at 12:25 pm | Report abuse |
  2. PepperNews

    Oklahoma? My goodness...there's no real fault line there. Oh. Wait a second. They do a lot of fracking in Oklahoma. Mystery solved.

    November 7, 2011 at 12:14 pm | Report abuse |
    • politico123

      Check your facts. There are indeed fault lines in OK. USGS.gov has a great website. Another location is the Oklahoma Geological Survey. Faults can be located anywhere, not just at the edges of tectonic plates. New Madrid, MO; locaiton of the largest earthquake in the continential US.

      November 7, 2011 at 12:58 pm | Report abuse |
  3. pmn

    Strange more earthquakes in the southwest and other parts of U.S. not accustomed to earthquakes. There was one in San Antonio a few weeks ago. Just alot of earthquakes in past few years.

    November 7, 2011 at 12:15 pm | Report abuse |
    • marycontrary

      Yep

      November 7, 2011 at 1:13 pm | Report abuse |
  4. Kitkat

    2012!!! Time to panic!!
    Aaaarrruuugghh

    November 7, 2011 at 12:16 pm | Report abuse |
  5. ranklebiter

    Yes; it's the FRACKING, stupid. The Oklahoma Geological service knows it:

    http://www.ogs.ou.edu/pubsscanned/openfile/OF1_2011.pdf

    November 7, 2011 at 12:16 pm | Report abuse |
  6. banasy©

    @ everyone:

    No, she's not afraid of EQ's; she isn't happy about going to OK City.
    She's been there before.

    November 7, 2011 at 12:17 pm | Report abuse |
  7. mjluck

    Does any one still play atari

    November 7, 2011 at 12:17 pm | Report abuse |
  8. banasy©

    @Sybaris:
    My daughter's 30.
    She's no drama queen.
    She just doesn't care for that particular city.

    November 7, 2011 at 12:19 pm | Report abuse |
  9. banasy©

    mjluck:

    AND??????????????????? we dont care.

    Stacey: do you get knocked up when you GFY?

    November 7, 2011 at 12:24 pm | Report abuse |
  10. Joseph

    Drill baby drill........

    November 7, 2011 at 12:26 pm | Report abuse |
  11. mjluck

    my dad was lookin at a map of OK city I hope he will be OK.

    November 7, 2011 at 12:27 pm | Report abuse |
  12. Wood-yee

    This is terrrible!

    November 7, 2011 at 12:28 pm | Report abuse |
  13. gung hoe

    My ex lives in heavner ok .Whatcha think the chances are,the ground opening up and swallowin her up.Ya think its gonna be my lucky day ha ha

    November 7, 2011 at 12:28 pm | Report abuse |
  14. mjluck

    Joe I say that to my wife all the time "nudge nudge say no more"

    November 7, 2011 at 12:29 pm | Report abuse |
    • Eric Idle

      🙂

      November 7, 2011 at 2:32 pm | Report abuse |
  15. God

    Half of the people here in OK think the world didnt exist 300 mil years ago. I must smite those that do!

    November 7, 2011 at 12:29 pm | Report abuse |
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