5.6-Magnitude Earthquake, Strikes Oklahoma

A n earthquake shocked the Oklahoma with  record, a 5.6-magnitude temblor that was felt in all corners of the state and into parts of neighboring Kansas, Missouri and Arkansas.

The region known as earthquake prone area, as the New Madrid Fault has proven to be a volatile one in recent years. And Saturday was bookended by quaking for many Oklahomans, beginning with a 4.7-magnitude earthquake that jolted residents awake at 2:12 a.m.

And at 10:53 p.m., the area shook again. The 5.6-magnitude wave, strongest in Oklahoma’s history till date, was centered four miles east of Sparks, a small town 40 miles northeast of Oklahoma City.

There were no reports of casualty or major damage, though homeowners did report many instances of structural damage. Emergency management crews said three separate sections of U.S. Route 62 buckled in the quake and a boulder “about the size of an SUV” broke free and tumbled onto a rural road in Lincoln County.

The people reside in area report that the land shook for more than a minute. Assessment crews were dispatched to check on those near the epicenter. “They’re reporting that all the houses look like they’ve been ransacked,” Aaron Bennett from Lincoln County emergency management said. At least one person was taken to a hospital in Prague with minor injuries, he said. The man, according to CNN, tripped and hit his head while trying to run out of his house during the earthquake.

The U.S. Geological survey reports 11 aftershocks were recorded overnight Saturday into Sunday. The strongest quake prior to Saturday was a 5.5-magnitude temblor that struck on April 9, 1952.