Story highlights
NEW: Damage from the quake, which hit near Guthrie, is unlikely, a seismologist says
Earthquakes have become common in Oklahoma
On Sunday, nine quakes were recorded
A 4.2-magnitude earthquake struck near Guthrie, Oklahoma, at 7:41 a.m. CT (8:41 a.m. ET) Tuesday, the U.S. Geological Survey said.
Some posted on social media about being awakened by the temblor.
“I just went surfing in bed,” tweeted Shelley Leveridge.
Someone in a shop in Edmond posted: “That was definitely the biggest one felt here at the store. #earthquake shook every bottle on the shelf.”
It’s highly unlikely there was damage from the quake, said Austin Holland, a research seismologist with the Oklahoma Geological Survey.
Damage and injury are far more likely with quakes that register 4.0 and higher, the USGS reports.
But the temblor stands out from others that have happened in the state because many people appear to have felt it, Holland said. The USGS received more than 500 responses to the “Did you feel it?” section on its site, and the state survey received at least 200 reports from Oklahomans, he said.
In the past few years, earthquakes have become common in the state. In June, Oklahoma surpassed California in the number of temblors.
An increase began in 2009, when 20 quakes of 3.0 magnitude or higher occurred, followed by 43 the next year and increasing every year except for 2012.
Just last Sunday, nine earthquakes were recorded, including two that were 3.8 magnitude.
“When they first started happening they were a big deal,” said Althea Peterson, a reporter with Tulsa World who has written about so many earthquakes, it’s practically become a beat for her.
“People are starting to see foundational damage, cracking around door frames,” she told CNN on Tuesday. In Tulsa, the quakes are felt, but barely, like a low rumble. “It’s nothing I ever expected in Oklahoma,” she said.