4.3-magnitude earthquake shakes central Kansas, USGS says. ‘The whole house shook’
A 4.3-magnitude earthquake rattled central Kansas on Wednesday, Dec. 8, the U.S. Geological Survey reports.,
The 1.8-mile deep earthquake happened at 7:45 a.m. CT Wednesday and was centered near Gypsum, a Kansas town about 75 miles north of Wichita.
Many Kansas residents woke up to the earthquake, with some reporting on social media they felt it from miles away. More than 250 people reported feeling the quake to the USGS, some as far away as Kansas City.
“Wow, we just had a solid earthquake near Roxbury, Kansas,” one Twitter user said. “The whole house shook and some items fell.”
“A noticeable earthquake just happened moments ago as I’m sitting in the median or a car just blew past me and rocked my patrol car from side to side!” a Kansas Highway Patrol trooper said. He later said he was slightly west of Salina.
“OMG-my first ever earthquake experience here in Kansas.,” another Twitter user said. “Yes I felt it. My dresser was shaking and so was the bed I was sleeping in. I’m alright now.”
Magnitude measures the energy released at the source of the earthquake, the U.S. Geological Survey says. It replaces the old Richter scale.
Quakes between 2.5 and 5.4 magnitude are often felt but rarely cause much damage, according to Michigan Tech.
