A small earthquake rattled the crockery in a mostly rural area just south of Dallas, but cause no reported damage.
The U.S. Geological Survey says the quake had a magnitude of 3.0. The epicenter of the 2 a.m. Sunday quake was plotted about 13 miles west of Waxahachie near the Ellis County farming community of Venus.
Geophysicist Paul Caruso says a quake with a magnitude of at least 5.5 would cause major damage. He tells the Fort Worth Star-Telegram that "there might be some cracks in sidewalks and houses may have been shaking a little (but) we don't expect damage from this" 3.0 quake.
The quake was the third since mid-June in Ellis County. A magnitude 2.7 quake was detected June 12, and a 2.4 quake was recorded June 25.
