A rare magnitude 5.0 earthquake shook the Texas Panhandle early Thursday morning, with tremors reaching parts of southwest and southern Kansas.
According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the quake struck around 5:21 a.m. and was centered about 24 miles south-southeast of Spearman, Texas, or about 75 miles south of Liberal, Kansas, which is near the Kansas border with the Oklahoma Panhandle. The earthquake occurred at a shallow depth of about 3.5 miles, making it more likely to be felt across a wide area.
Some people felt it in the Wichita area.
Residents reported feeling the shaking in communities across the Texas Panhandle, western Oklahoma, and southwest Kansas. Hundreds of people submitted "Did You Feel It?" reports to the USGS, with shaking also reported as far away as Lubbock, Texas, and Tulsa, Oklahoma.
The earthquake is believed to be the strongest ever recorded in the Texas Panhandle and only the fourth magnitude 4.0 or greater quake documented in the region since 1900.
There were no immediate reports of injuries or significant damage. Officials will continue monitoring the area for possible aftershocks, though none had been reported immediately following the quake.
