Texas Shaken by Earthquake Among Biggest in State's History

Texas Shaken by Earthquake Among Biggest in State's History

Chloe Mayer

Texans were rocked by a "notable" 5.1 magnitude earthquake—one of the strongest in the state's history—on Monday evening, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) reported

The quake struck in Martin County, about 21 miles southwest of Ackerly, shortly before 7:50 p.m.

It was initially graded 4.8 on the magnitude scale, with a depth of 3 miles, according to Texas channel KXAS, but was later upgraded to a 5.1 quake with a depth of 5.2 miles. Lamesa residents said their homes were shaking for up to 10 seconds.

The earthquake was the seventh strongest in Texas history, local newspaper Lubbock Avalanche-Journal reported. Newsweek reached out to the USGS seeking confirmation on where the quake stands in relation to others hitting the state.

The biggest quake ever recorded in the state measured 5.8 magnitude when it struck near Valentine in August 1931. The second largest, measuring 5.7, struck near Marathon in April 1995, ahead of a quake of 5.4 magnitude near Mentone in November 2022.

"Notable quake, preliminary info: M 5.1 - 34 km WSW of Ackerly, Texas," the USGS posted on social media site X (formerly Twitter) on Monday night. Several X users replied to the post, saying the quake had felt stronger than usual. "Felt it in San Angelo Tx," one wrote. "Biggest one I've felt." Another added: "Friend felt in Schertz TX. Knocked candles off of shelves."