30-01-2025
Did you feel it? 4.5 magnitude earthquake near San Antonio felt across Central Texas
San Antonians experienced an earthquake Wednesday evening, according to the United States Geological Survey.
Here's what we know:
The magnitude of the earthquake was recorded at 4.5 and occurred at 9:26 p.m. near Falls City, USGS says.
Based on data from USGS, it appears that the Falls City earthquake is the primary shock of a series that started with four smaller tremors, ranging in magnitude from 1.6 to 2.9, during the first few weeks of January.
Texas is not usually known for frequent or severe earthquakes compared to states like California. However, Texas does experience some seismic activity. According to USGS, there have been a series of small to moderate earthquakes in recent years, particularly in the northern part of the state around the Dallas-Fort Worth area and in West Texas. Some of these quakes have been linked to increased oil and gas activities, including hydraulic fracturing (fracking) and wastewater injection.
Earthquake Track has ranked the strongest earthquakes in Texas history. The oldest, which hit 7 miles southwest of Valentine, is also the strongest earthquake recorded in the state.
Ranking
Magnitude
Location
Date
1
6.5
Valentine
Aug. 16, 1931
2
5.7
Alpine
April 13, 1995
3
5.4
Mentone
Nov. 16, 2022
3
5.4
Midland
Dec. 16, 2022
4
5.2
Mentone
Nov. 8, 2023
5
5.1
Fairview, OK
Feb. 13, 2016
5
5.1
Lamesa
Sept. 16, 2024
5
5.1
Snyder
July 26, 2024
6
5.0
Mentone
March 26, 2020
7
4.9
Loving, NM
July 21, 2022
7
4.9
Rotan
July 22, 2024
Table by Alexis Simmerman/American Stateman | Data by Earthquake Track
-USA TODAY Network trending reporter Alexis Simmerman contributed to this report.
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: USGS: 4.5 magnitude earthquake hits near San Antonio Wednesday
