6 earthquakes hit Oklahoma City, 2 of them were 4.4 magnitude

Madison Selcho
·2 min read
4
The Oklahoma City skyline is pictured in an aerial photo, Thursday, May 15, 2014.
The Oklahoma City skyline is pictured in an aerial photo, Thursday, May 15, 2014. | Sue Ogrocki, Associated Press

A series of earthquakes struck Oklahoma City late Friday evening into early Saturday morning.

The largest magnitude of the earthquakes was recorded as a 4.4.

The U.S. Geological Survey reported late Friday evening into Saturday morning the following earthquakes:

  • 3.2 magnitude: Recorded at 9:37 p.m. near Arcadia.

  • 4.4 magnitude: Recorded at 9:46 p.m. near Arcadia.

  • 2.5 magnitude: Recorded at 10:04 p.m. near Arcadia.

  • 2.7 magnitude: Recorded at 10:43 p.m. near Arcadia.

  • 4.1 magnitude: Recorded at 5:36 a.m. near Edmond.

  • 2.7 magnitude: Recorded at 6:55 p.m. northeast of Edmond.

The Oklahoman reported that a statement from the Oklahoma Geological Survey on Saturday morning said, “There were reports of strong shaking in the immediate area and across Oklahoma City. The M4.4 yesterday evening was preceded by a M3.2 foreshock almost 10 minutes prior to the M4.4. In addition, there has been activity along this fault in the last month starting on December 29, with 5 events between M1.0-1.6 between December 29 and January 6.”

The Geological Survey has been posting earthquake alerts on X so the public is aware of the recorded times and magnitudes of the earthquakes.

The Geological Survey statement further explained, “The seismicity from the last decade indicates there were 3 M4.0 or greater events in 2015 and 2017, corresponding to a time period when wastewater disposal volumes were higher. Whereas most aftershocks are smaller than the mainshock, a very small fraction of aftershocks remain high in the area.”

Residents around the area have been taking to social media to post videos of the earthquake and updates on how to stay safe.

One X user took to the platform to say, “Welp. I have now experienced an earthquake while underground sheltering during a tornado warning and now during an ar(c)tic blast.”

The Geological Survey urged those residing in the area to “secure valuables that might shake during possible strong aftershocks and practice Drop, Cover and Hold On in the event of damaging events. We will continue to monitor the seismicity and provide assistance to the Oklahoma Corporation Commission, other state agencies, and the public.”