3.1 magnitude earthquake shakes North Texas

June 16, 2012 – TEXAS – Experts said North Texas has had a 3.1-magnitude earthquake. The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake happened just after 2 a.m. Friday. USGS said the earthquake was centered 11 miles north-northeast of Cleburne, or about 16 miles south of Fort Worth. No damage or injuries were immediately reported. On Oct. 20, an earthquake centered in Campbellton shook the area in the early morning hours. It reportedly rattled homes and caused faint tremors in Downtown San Antonio. Preliminary reports from the U.S. Geological Survey said the 4.6-magnitude earthquake hit at 7:24 a.m. in the area about 50 miles south of San Antonio. According to The Associated Press, no injuries or major damage was reported. Many residents close to the epicenter apparently did not notice any tremors, near Karnes City. Yet small vibrations felt in San Antonio did cause occupants to briefly evacuate a downtown federal building as a precaution. Earthquakes are not common in Texas, and according to the USGS, Texas — along with several other states — has not had an earthquake with a magnitude of 3.5 or greater for at least 30 years. The USGS site indicates the state has seen only one historic earthquake, which happened near Valentine and had a 5.8 magnitude. Before that quake, a small earthquake on April 25, 2010 awoke some residents in a Texas town near Alice. The U.S. Geological Survey reports that a 4.0-magnitude earthquake hit an area near Alice, about 50 miles west of Corpus Christi, around 9:10 p.m. Saturday. No damage or injuries have been reported. But numerous residents felt the quake. The Alice Echo-News Journal reports that calls flooded the Alice Police Department in Nueces County and the sheriff’s office in neighboring Jim Wells County. –WTNH