A 5.1 magnitude earthquake hit near Prague, Oklahoma on Friday night, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Thankfully, there were no injuries reported and only minor damage, such as items falling from shelves.
The earthquake occurred at 11:24 p.m. with its epicenter located northwest of Prague, about 57 miles east of Oklahoma City. People from cities across the state, including Lawton, Hennessey, Enid, and Tulsa, felt the tremors.
Several smaller earthquakes followed throughout the night, ranging in strength from 2.5 to 3.4 on the magnitude scale. These aftershocks occurred due to the earthquake’s shallow depth of just 2 miles, which can result in more intense shaking.
Oklahoma has experienced strong earthquakes. In January, a suburb of Oklahoma City had six earthquakes, two of which exceeded magnitude 4. And in April, Carney, located northeast of Oklahoma City, was hit by a series of six earthquakes, with one reaching magnitude 4. In 2011, Prague itself was struck by a 5.7 magnitude earthquake, while Pawnee experienced the state’s strongest recorded earthquake in 2016, measuring 5.8.