Texas Briefly
Sun, 12/18/2022 - 5:00am
Sunday, December 18, 2022
5.4 quake jolts West Texas, one of state’s strongest ever
MIDLAND (AP) — One of the strongest earthquakes in Texas history struck Friday evening in a western region of the state that’s home to oil and fracking activity. There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.
The U.S. Geological Survey said the temblor had a magnitude of 5.4 and struck at 5:35 p.m., local time. It was centered about 14 miles (22 kilometers) north-northwest of Midland, with a depth of about 5.6 miles (9 kilometers).
The agency had previously issued a preliminary magnitude of 5.3 before updating it. In the interim, the National Weather Service’s office in Midland tweeted that it “would be the 4th strongest earthquake in Texas state history!”
