5.1 Magnitude Earthquake Rattles Texas Panhandle Near Pampa

There's nothing like a little shake in the morning to get you out of bed. If you were suddenly shaken awake this morning at about 5:21 am, you weren't alone, and you weren't dreaming. There was an earthquake in the Texas Panhandle this morning.

What the USGS Says About Today's Quake

At 5:21 am, the earth shook about 23 miles north of Pampa and near Miami. The USGS says the quake was a magnitude 5.1. Other reports are saying a 4.8. However, it was a shake felt all over the Texas Panhandle.

How Amarillo Felt the Shake

My coworker Melissa and I were sitting here in the office when I felt the building shake. I yelled out at her, "Are you ok?" She said, "Yeah, did you feel that?" I was like, "Yes, I did." I figured she was just changing out the water bottle on the water cooler. We then thought something hit the building, and we went to inspect, thinking something had fallen off the tower and hit the roof. Nope. Walking back to our offices, I quipped, "Maybe it was an earthquake." As soon as I sat down at my computer, I thought I'd check, and yes, we had another earthquake in the Texas Panhandle.

A History of Panhandle Earthquakes

This isn't the first time the area has had earthquakes. The last one occurred was on January 10, and it was measured at 2.8.

Read More: Amarillo Earthquake Report and Historic Seismic Data

Fun Fact: The first recorded earthquake in Amarillo, according to the Texas Almanac, was in April of 1907. It was measured at a 3.6 magnitude, and famously broke a single window.

Is This the Second Largest Quake on Record?

According to Weather.gov, the biggest earthquake on record in the Texas Panhandle was in Panhandle, Texas, on July 30, 1925. The quake measured a magnitude of 5.4.

If the quake that hit this morning was 5.1, then from what I can deduce, this was the second-largest earthquake in the Texas Panhandle.

What a way to start the day.