3.0 Earthquake Rattles North Texas

A magnitude 3.0 earthquake rattled parts of North Texas just after midnight.

The U.S. Geological Survey reports North Texas experienced a "series of earthquakes."

The first quake occurred at 11:25 p.m. and was a magnitude 2.5 centered 4 miles north of Grand Prairie.

The second and largest quake occurred at 12:01 a.m. According to the USGS the epicenter of the 3.0 magnitude quake was 4 miles southwest of Irving.

Jessica Sigala with the USGS reports there were several smaller quakes in the magnitude 2.0 range and the last quake was felt around 3:00 a.m. 

The USGS continues to monitor the activity trying to pinpoint all of the tremors.

911 centers in several North Texas cities report getting calls from worried residents who wanted to know the cause of the jolt. (Click here to hear Euless 911 calls)

The tremors were described by most residents as similar to a ground shudder from an explosion, and most of the callers asked if something had blown up or crashed.

Not all communities felt the tremors equally; Grand Prairie dispatch reported only one call, whereas Irving Police Department received about 100 calls.

Fort Worth, Euless, Bedford and Arlington also received calls. No damage has been reported.

Aftershocks could last several days, USGS geophysicist Randy Baldwin said.

Texas occasionally has earthquakes.

An April 7 earthquake in southern Texas had a 3.7 magnitude.

A minor earthquake was felt by some people in Amarillo on March 30, 2002. The Amarillo area also recorded seven minor earthquakes in 2000.

RESOURCES:

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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