Two more earthquakes were reported Saturday afternoon in West Texas, a day after a Scurry County judge issued a disaster declaration after he said over 60 earthquakes hit the area in the past week, causing property damage.
Many in the Dallas-Fort Worth area reported feeling aftershocks from the series of earthquakes this week that hit Scurry, a county of about 16,000 that is roughly 250 miles from Dallas. According to a Facebook post from the county, 61 earthquakes had been reported by about 10:20 a.m. Friday. The USGS reported several more earthquakes Friday afternoon, and on Saturday recorded a 4.5 magnitude earthquake about 4:08 p.m. and a 2.7 magnitude earthquake at about 6:08 p.m.
The cluster of earthquakes were all reported in roughly the same area, about 18 kilometers northeast of Hermleigh, along the Scurry County and Fisher County line.
Scurry County Judge Dan Hicks issued a disaster declaration Friday morning and said he is requesting any assistance possible from the state of Texas. He also said the emergency management coordinator is working with the Texas Division of Emergency Management to monitor damages in the county and surrounding areas.
A Facebook post from the City of Snyder Office of Emergency Management said increased seismic activity has caused damage to buildings, homes and infrastructure.
“This includes potential hazards such as weakened foundations, cracked walls and damaged utility lines,” the post said. “Damages have been reported in multiple areas and vary in significance.”
Officials asked residents to report any damages. The Scurry County sheriff’s office dispatch said Saturday evening no injuries had been reported.
Justin Rubinstein, a seismologist for the USGS, said Friday the earthquakes were likely caused by human activity. Rubinstein said the Hermleigh area has a history of earthquakes going back to the 1970s, which he said are all believed to be induced by human activity.
Rubinstein said induced earthquakes in Texas are made more likely by wastewater disposal from oil and gas drilling and a process called secondary recovery.
During secondary recovery, also known as enhanced oil recovery, water or carbon dioxide is injected into older oil and gas fields to withdraw more resources, he said.