The quake struck some 2km west of Cushing at a depth of just 5km, US Geological Survey reported, revising the magnitude from 5.3 to 5.0.
Despite being a moderate tremor on the Richter scale, the shallow quake resulted in several buildings partly collapsing, also causing a power outage. There was “quite of bit of damage” from the quake, the Cushing Police Department reported, as cited by AP. There was no immediate information on possible casualties or the number of buildings damaged.
Cushing Fire Department estimated the damage caused by the quake to the town center as “significant.”
A housing development accommodating senior citizens in the town sustained serious damage, according to the state’s emergency management office, News 9 reported. Local authorities have reportedly shut down several disposal wells and reduced the amount of wastewater flow in others.
With a population of under 8,000, Cushing is home to a large oil storage, which, according to AP, is touted as “world’s largest.” The town has been branded the “Pipeline Crossroads of the World.”
The Commission has “been in contact with pipeline operators in the Cushing oil storage terminal under state jurisdiction and there have been no immediate reports of any problems,” it said in a statement.
Oklahoma has recently seen a sudden increase in the number of quakes, with the latest 4.5-magnitude tremor centering near the city of Pawnee and strongly felt in Tulsa on November 2.
