Texas Panhandle Hit by 5.0 Quake, Strongest in Region Since 1900

Q: Was the Texas quake truly the strongest in a century, or does a forgotten tremor hold the real record?

No. The Texas Panhandle quake was not the strongest in more than a century if the historical record is taken into account. The recent earthquake was reported by the USGS at about magnitude 5.0, with some later references putting it at 5.1. That makes it a major event for the region, but not the record-holder. Historical data cited by Weather.gov indicates the largest known earthquake in the Texas Panhandle was a magnitude 5.4 tremor on July 30, 1925, near Panhandle, Texas. That means the latest quake ranks below the 1925 event and is better described as one of the strongest on record, or likely the second-largest recorded in the Texas Panhandle, rather than the strongest since 1900. The confusion appears to come from early reporting and differing magnitude estimates. News accounts describing it as the strongest since 1900 likely relied on initial summaries or incomplete historical context. But the older 1925 quake remains the stronger event based on available records. So the “forgotten tremor” does hold the real record: the 1925 magnitude 5.4 earthquake, not this week’s 5.0–5.1 quake.

3 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Jul 23

A 5.0-magnitude earthquake struck the Texas Panhandle at about 5:21 a.m. Thursday, the strongest recorded in the region since 1900.
USGS said the quake hit at a depth of 3.5 miles, with an epicenter about 27.8 miles southeast of Spearman and roughly 68 miles from Amarillo.
No injuries or deaths were reported, though residents across Pampa, Mobeetie and White Deer said the shaking woke them and knocked at least one picture from a shelf.
Tremors were also felt in western Oklahoma and southwestern Kansas, while USGS said most local structures are resistant to shaking but some masonry buildings remain vulnerable.