A magnitude 5.3 earthquake struck West Texas on Saturday night, part of a swarm of earthquakes to rock the area near the Texas border with New Mexico, the U.S. Geological Survey said.
The temblor struck at 7:47 p.m. about 35 miles south of Whites City, New Mexico, the USGS said. The area is roughly midway between the Texas cities of Midland and El Paso.
The quake occurred nearly 4 miles beneath the earth’s surface, the survey said.
Because the region has a sparse population, few residents were affected, the USGS said. Ground failure and landslides were unlikely, as was liquifaction, when soil behaves like a fluid, it said.
The temblor was part of a swarm of 46 mostly small earthquakes in the area since early April, USGS data indicates. There’s a 65% chance of a strong aftershock with a week, it said.
The survey’s “Did You Feel It” list shows responses from the Texas cities of Arlington, Midland, Lubbock and more, including cities in New Mexico.
No injuries were reported.
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