Oklahoma

Powerful 5.1 magnitude earthquake rattles area near Oklahoma City

Prague is about 57 miles (92 kilometers) east of Oklahoma City, where residents reported feeling the shaking

Oklahoma City.
Brian Bahr/Getty Images

A 5.1 magnitude earthquake shook an area near Oklahoma City late Friday night, the U.S. Geological Survey reported.

The earthquake hit at 11:24 p.m. and was centered 8 kilometers (4.9 miles) northwest of Prague, Oklahoma, the agency said.

Prague is about 57 miles (92 kilometers) east of Oklahoma City, where residents reported feeling the shaking. Shawnee, Stillwater and Tecumseh residents also felt the earthquake, NBC affiliate KFOR-TV reported.

The earthquake was shallow — just 3 kilometers (1.8 miles) deep, according to the USGS — and temblors that hit close to the surface can make the shaking more intense.

At least six earthquakes, including two greater than magnitude 4.0, were recorded near another Oklahoma City suburb in January. In April, a magnitude 4.0 earthquake was among a series of six that struck the central Oklahoma town of Carney, about 40 miles (64 kilometers) northeast of Oklahoma City.

Copyright The Associated Press
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