On Saturday, a series of earthquakes struck West Texas, with tremors felt over 100 miles away. At 7:47 p.m., a 5.4 magnitude earthquake hit, initially classified as 5.3, centered 35 miles south of Whites City, New Mexico.
The earthquake, 4.6 miles deep, shook thousands, with tremors recorded as far as El Paso, 200 miles away. Two aftershocks of 2.9 magnitude followed, and more are expected.
Over 1,500 people reported feeling the tremors, but no fatalities or damage have been reported. Texas has experienced 17 earthquakes over magnitude 5 since 1882. Oil and gas drilling, especially fracking and wastewater disposal, is linked to increased seismic activity in the area. A 2022 study found that 68% of earthquakes above magnitude 1.5 in Texas were associated with oil and gas extraction.
