Earthquake strikes near Arcadia, Okla.

The Route 66 town of Arcadia, Okla., experienced a 4.5-magnitude earthquake shortly after noon Saturday, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

The Oklahoma Geological Survey recorded the quake as a 4.8-magnitude. The agency also reported several aftershocks in the 3.0-magnitude and up range.

Surveillance video above from a store in nearby Edmond shows the effects of the quake when it occurred.

POPS in Arcadia reported no damage, according to a report by the Weather Channel:

Marty Doepke, general manager of Pops Restaurant in Arcadia, said there was no damage at the restaurant that’s known for its selection of some 600 soft drinks — hundreds of which are displayed along shelves.

“It shook a bit, that’s for sure. Everybody just kind of stopped and looked around,” Doepke said. “Everybody almost automatically knew what it was and then went back to watching the Bedlam game” — Oklahoma State and Oklahoma.

It was the most-powerful earthquake in the Oklahoma City area, according to a report by The Oklahoman newspaper. Scattered reports of damage — but no injuries — were reported, including several whiskey bottles falling off shelves at a liquor store in Edmond.

KWTV in Oklahoma City reported the quake was felt as far away as Wichita, Kan., and Wichita Falls, Texas.

Oklahoma has experienced an upsurge of quakes in recent years, including more than 2,600 this year alone, reported the Associated Press. A record 5.6-magnitude quake rattled Oklahoma just two years ago.

The increased activity is why I advocate more testing before the Keystone XL oil pipeline is ever laid in Oklahoma, including under the Route 66 town of Stroud. Keystone’s 2006 risk-assessment report of the 36-inch pipeline tabbed Oklahoma as a low-risk earthquake zone — an assessment that no longer seems valid.

It’s theorized the increase in Oklahoma earthquakes is caused by the by-products of fracking, or hydraulic fracturing, to extract natural gas. Injection wells that pump used fracking liquids deep underground are blamed. This Land Press, based in Tulsa, published a well-researched report about fracking and earthquakes.

2 thoughts on “Earthquake strikes near Arcadia, Okla.

  1. Anyone who thinks fracking is harmless is fooling themselves. I’ve lived in my home for almost 10 years, and in the last year and a half since the fracking started off the California coast, I’ve seen more spontaneous cracks in the walls of my house and in the foundation of my house than anytime before. At the same time, I can’t remember feeling even one tremor or earthquake. Cracks but no quakes? Hmm. Coincidence? I don’t think so. Until we understand more about the dangers of fracking, we shouldn’t be in such a rush to do it.

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.