Magnitude 5.0 earthquake rocks Texas Panhandle
SPEARMAN, Texas - An earthquake rocked the Texas Panhandle on Thursday morning.
What we know:
According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the magnitude 5.0 earthquake struck at 5:21 a.m. about 23 miles south-southeast of Spearman. It was at a depth of 3.5 miles.
A star indicates the epicenter of an earthquake near Spearman, Texas, on July 23, 2026. (USGS / FOX Local)
What they're saying:
The Facebook page of the National Weather Service Office in Amarillo, about 90 miles southwest of the epicenter, was filled with people who reported feeling the shaking.
"Awakened by thunder-like rumble and shaking in Pampa around 5:20 am," Dari Sharpton posted on the agency’s page.
"Woke us up in Mobeetie," Kellie Bryce May posted. "Lasted about 20 seconds or so. A picture fell off a shelf also."
"It was wild! We live in White Deer," Kristi Lynn Loveless posted. "I was standing, and it threw me way off balance. Talk about a strange feeling."
Shaking was felt far and wide, including the northern suburbs of Dallas, according to USGS data.
People in nearby states also felt it. USGS data showed shaking being reported as far away as Wichita, Kansas, and Tulsa, Oklahoma.
The Roberts County Sheriff’s Office, where Spearman is located, said no damage has been reported.
The backstory:
While earthquakes in Texas aren’t unusual, larger temblors such as Thursday’s are much rarer.
One of the largest quakes recorded in Texas was a 6.0 near Valentine in 1931.
The Source: Information in this story came from the U.S. Geological Survey, the National Weather Service, the Roberts County Sheriff’s Office and the Texas Almanac.