Earthquakes In 'Diverse Places': Texas (5.3) and U.S. Virgin Islands (5.1) Experience Significant Quakes

Magnitude-5.3 earthquake among three to shake remote West Texas

Dennis Romero

A magnitude 5.3 earthquake struck West Texas on Saturday night, part of a swarm of earthquakes to rock the area near the Texas border with New Mexico, the U.S. Geological Survey said.

The temblor struck at 7:47 p.m. about 35 miles south of Whites City, New Mexico, the USGS said. The area is roughly midway between the Texas cities of Midland and El Paso.

The quake occurred nearly 4 miles beneath the earth's surface, the survey said.

Because the region has a sparse population, few residents were affected, the USGS said. Ground failure and landslides were unlikely, as was liquifaction, when soil behaves like a fluid, it said.

The temblor was part of a swarm of 46 mostly small earthquakes in the area since early April, USGS data indicates. There's a 65% chance of a strong aftershock with a week, it said.

NBC affiliate KTSM of El Paso, more than 100 miles west of the area, reported the 5.3 temblor was the strongest of three stronger-than-usual earthquakes to rock the area Saturday night, which also included magnitude 3.4 and 2.9 quakes.

Magnitude 5.1 Earthquake Rattles U.S. Virgin Islands and Neighboring Territories

A magnitude 5.4 earthquake struck the northeastern Caribbean early Sunday morning, shaking buildings and startling residents across the U.S. Virgin Islands and surrounding territories. The tremor occurred at approximately 2:58 a.m. and was felt most intensely on St. Thomas, where residents reported the shaking lasted for about 20 seconds in some areas.

According to seismic data, the earthquake’s epicenter was located roughly 74 kilometers northwest of the British Virgin Islands. It was strong enough to be felt across a broad region, including the British Virgin Islands, Saint Martin, Sint Maarten, Puerto Rico, Saint Kitts and Nevis, the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Caribbean Netherlands, Saint Barthélemy, and Anguilla.

There have been no immediate reports of structural damage or injuries within the Virgin Islands. Emergency officials have not issued any tsunami warnings, and the situation is being monitored closely for possible aftershocks or additional seismic activity.

While the U.S. Geological Survey has preliminarily classified the quake as magnitude 5.4, VITEMA’s advisory referenced an initial reading of 5.1, which is common in the early stages of earthquake reporting as agencies calibrate data from different sensors.