4.7-magnitude earthquake hits southeast of San Antonio, felt all the way near Round Rock

Fernanda Figueroa, Austin American-Statesman
·2 min read
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Seven earthquakes were recorded on Saturday morning near Falls City, which sits about 40 miles southeast of San Antonio. Two of those were felt by some in Austin and Round Rock.

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, 4.4 and 4.7-magnitude earthquakes were confirmed to have occurred around 6 a.m. local time. In 2024, Texas has experienced 1,022 earthquakes.

The 4.7 earthquake happened around 12:32 a.m. and was felt in Round Rock, according to data from USGS. No damage has been reported.

Statesman data page: See earthquakes in Texas over the past day

When was the last big earthquake in Texas?

In November 2023, a 5.2 magnitude earthquake shook western Texas. The earthquake happened around 4.27 a.m. local time nearly 24 miles southwest of Mentone, Texas, a town near the Texas-New Mexico border, about 57 miles southwest of Carlsbad, New Mexico, and 200 miles east of El Paso, Texas. The area known as the Delaware Basin is the center of oil extraction in Texas, and it has seen hundreds of small quakes since 2017, according to Texas state records.

According to the USGS, the earthquake hit at a depth of 7.4 kilometers and some strong shaking could be felt in the immediate area. The National Weather Service office in El Paso said workers felt the earthquake in Santa Teresa, New Mexico, which is about 215 miles west of Mentone.

Is Austin at risk for earthquakes?

No. Experts said the Austin metro is at a low risk for earthquakes.

Are earthquakes in Texas increasing?

Earthquakes in Texas have been increasing for years because oil and gas drilling and extraction have been increasing. Last year, there were more magnitude 2.5-plus quakes in Texas than in California, according to Texas officials.

In 2023, there were 591 magnitude 2.5-plus quakes in Texas, compared to 207 in all of 2019. State officials in 2017 ramped up quake monitoring.

A 2022 report by the University of Texas at Austin concluded that 68% of Texas quakes above magnitude 1.5 were "highly associated" with oil and gas production.

More: 5.2 magnitude earthquake hits Texas: Here's why people might be to blame

Is Austin on a fault line?

Yes. Austin lies on the Balcones Fault line, which extends from the Dallas Forth Worth region southward through Waco, Temple, Austin and westward through San Antonio to Del Rio.

The fault line is the path IH-35 takes through Central Texas.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: 4.7-magnitude earthquake near Falls City, Texas felt in Round Rock