5.1-magnitude earthquake hits West Texas, tremors felt as far as Austin, DFW

An earthquake shook Midland yesterday, rattling as far as the Dallas-Fort Worth area, as the fifth-strongest earthquake in Texas history.

Here’s what we know.

5.1-magnitude earthquake hits West Texas

A rare 5.1-magnitude earthquake was detected in Martin County at 7:49 p.m. Monday, the U.S. Geological Survey reports. It originated around 21 miles west-southwest of Ackerly and 28 miles north of Midland.

The USGS received over 1,800 reports of shaking throughout West Texas and as far east as Fort Worth (282 miles away) and Austin (322 miles southeast).

Most of the reports came from the larger communities in the region, including Lubbock, Midland, Odessa, Big Spring and San Angelo, according to the USGS.

As of Tuesday morning, no damage or injuries have been reported. The USGS is forecasting a low probability of fatalities or economic losses from the quake.

Monday’s earthquake comes less than two months after a series of 108 earthquakes shook West Texas over a period of eight days. One of these was a 4.9-magnitude earthquake in Scurry County, which prompted a disaster declaration. At the time, it was the eighth-strongest earthquake in Texas history.

Experts say the large group of earthquakes was likely initiated by oil and gas extractions.

Read more: A staggering 103 earthquakes hit West Texas in 8 days. Is oil drilling to blame?

LIST: Strongest earthquakes in Texas history

Earthquake Track has ranked the strongest earthquakes in Texas history. The oldest, which hit seven miles southwest of Valentine, is also the strongest earthquake recorded. Monday’s quake is now tied for the fifth-strongest earthquake felt in Texas, along with the Snyder quake in July and an Oklahoma quake in 2016.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: 5.1-magnitude earthquake shakes West Texas, felt as far as Austin, DFW