Magnitude 5.0 earthquake hits central Oklahoma

Author: Associated Press
Published: Updated:
Photo via KOTV viewer Kipp Jones

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CUSHING, Okla. (AP) – A magnitude 5.0 earthquake has shaken central Oklahoma, causing damage to some structures.

The U.S. Geological Survey reported the earthquake struck at 7:44 p.m. CST, with an epicenter located one mile west of Cushing, about 50 miles northeast of Oklahoma City. The USGS initially stated it was a magnitude 5.3 earthquake but lowered that rating to 5.0.

The quake was felt as far away as Kansas City, Missouri, and Little Rock, Arkansas.

The Cushing Police Department reported “quite a bit of damage” from the earthquake but details were not immediately available. Photos posted to social media show piles of debris at the base of commercial buildings in the city.

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Cushing, which has a population of about 7,900, bills itself as the “Pipeline Crossroads of the World.” It is home to the Cushing Tank Farm, a massive oil storage facility that’s touted as the world’s largest.

The Oklahoma Corporation Commission and the Oklahoma Geological Survey reported that the OCC’s Pipeline Safety Department has been in contact with pipeline operators at the facility and that there have been no immediate reports of any problems from the earthquake. They said the assessment of the infrastructure continues.

According to USGS data, there have been 19 earthquakes in Oklahoma in the past week, including a 4.5 magnitude earthquake struck the northern part of Oklahoma last week, with an epicenter near Pawnee.

Scientists have linked Oklahoma’s sharp increase in earthquakes to the underground disposal of wastewater from oil and gas production.

The Oklahoma Corporation Commission has shut down some disposal wells and ordered a reduction in the amount of wastewater disposed of in others.

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