CUSHING, Okla., Nov. 7 (UPI) — More than 40 buildings in Cushing, Okla., were damaged by a 5.0-magnitude earthquake that could be felt 250 miles away in Dallas, Texas.
The earthquake struck Sunday evening, four miles below the surface, and was centered one mile west of Cushing, a city between Tulsa and Oklahoma City. The quake could be felt as far away as Dallas and Kansas City. Although the U.S. Geological Survey downgraded its magnitude from the originally announced 5.3-magnitude, the earthquake remains the state’s 5th largest ever recorded.
Most of the damage was concentrated in the downtown area of Cushing, a community of about 8,000. An assisted living facility was evacuated, and the city manager’s office said a structural engineer would be consulted to determine which buildings must be closed. Bricks fell from a number of buildings, and several streets were blocked off to prevent injuries from additional bricks falling during aftershocks. The city’s public schools were closed Monday to assess damage.
Assistant City Manager Jeremy Frazier said some residents suffered minor injuries. In addition to reports of damaged buildings, gas leaks and interruptions in electricity were reported. No problems were reported by the area’s pipeline and oil storage terminals.
The earthquake affecting Cushing was one of six seismic events recorded in Oklahoma by the U.S. Geological Survey in 24 hours, with one recorded just over the state border in Kansas. The Oil and Gas Division of the Oklahoma Corporation Commission said it was working to assess the status of the energy infrastructure tied to Cushing in the wake of the quake.
