To help OGS map the felt effects of this earthquake, would anyone who
felt and/or heard the earthquake FILL OUT THIS FORM?
Please tell us where you were, and what you experienced in as much detail
as possible.
Or mail to:
Oklahoma Geological Survey
Box 8
Leonard, OK 74043
or to:
Earthquake
Leonard, OK 74043
or E-mail to:
jim@okgeosurvey1.gov (You can't mail directly from this web page).
As of December 25 the Oklahoma Geological Survey has 28 felt reports.
About a dozen earthquakes have been felt in Oklahoma City. The most notable
of these occurred on 1952 APR09. The APR09 earthquake was centered between
El Reno and Minco in Canadian Co. It was felt in all of Oklahoma and parts
of seven other states. Damage included a 50 foot long crack in the State
Capitol Office Building.
Oklahoma County has only had six earthquakes centered in the county. One
of these was felt widely in Midwest City and Del City on 1974 DEC16. Twenty
seven years (and six hours) later, a magnitude 2.2 earthquake was felt in
scattered locations in Oklahoma City and Edmond and surrounding area.
THE FOLLOWING FELT EFFECTS HAVE BEEN REPORTED:
1. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Co.: [was reading] ... "thump-like beginning of
an earthquake" [similar to what I felt before in California...
my child awoke]
2. Edmond, Oklahoma Co.: reported as felt... details pending... dog ran around
in circles.
3. Edmond, Oklahoma Co.: heard "a faint thunderous noise"...
felt "a rolling sensation under my feet, the house shook mildly"
4. Edmond, Oklahoma Co.: near Orvis Risner Elementary School
"Heard a muffled boom, like a distant explosion. This was followed
about a second later by slight rattling of a couple of windows.
Felt the bed shake slightly"
5. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Co.: NW 118th St area. "Like a 'thump', like
something hitting the house, or like the house settling. One of
our parrots started thrashing about in her cage at the time of the
'thump'"
6. Edmond, Oklahoma Co.: Trails Addition, "Souded a little like a sonic boom
(quieter). Shook the bed a little and rattled the windows."
7. Edmond, Oklahoma Co.: Oak Tree area, "I was awakened from sleep.
Heard a faint boom...thought there must have been an explosion.
There was a small rattle in the house. Felt a thud in my chest"
8. Deer Creek/Edmond, Oklahoma Co.: "asleep and something suddenly awoke me.
I heard a distant sounding boom and reverberation. It reminded me of
the Murrah bombing..."
9. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Co.: Near Council, NW Expressway and Britton
"a sound of something hitting the north side of the house with enough
force to rattle the windows. Like a door slamming. It was a one time
quick hit. I actually got up and searched ot ensure we were not
being robbed." [heard only-felt nothing]
10. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Co.: Mayfair Area: "It sounded like my furnace
exploded, but right underneath the bed. It felt like our bed had dropped
hard to the floor."
11. Edmond, Logan Co.: Near Sooner road and I-35: The entire house shook, moving
some items on the book shelf and rattling the wall behind our bed.
Several of our children were awake and they all felt the event. None
of our sleeping children were awakned. The entire house rattled from
one side to the other. ...my children who were up saw saw the buffet
and shelves shake as to move the items on them."
NOTE: This is/was the first report outside Oklahoma County, and the first
to state that items moved, indicating a Modified
Mercalli Intensity of 4 (or IV).
12. Edmond, Oklahoma Co.: near Waterloo and Kelly: heard "Two faint 'booms', with
a third slightly rattling the house. No sensation of feeling, as in
previous years experience with California quakes; only noise"
13. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Co.: near Northpark Mall: "Heard nothing ...
Felt the vibration and thought fleetingly of an earthquake"
14. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Co.: near Hayes Elementary: "Heard what sounded to me
like an extremely large truck, and things rattling in my house. ...
I have felt an earthquake before in Lawton, OK in 1998. [felt] shook the
house, and I heard a rumble."
15. Oklahoma Ctty, Oklahoma Co.: near Nichols Hills: "Two people in our
household were awakened by noise and slight shaking/movement. Sounded
like a low rumble, or like a sonic boom but not as loud, or like a
car had an accident in the distance."
16. Edmond, Logan Co., near Cross Timbers Elementary School: "I was sound
asleep and awoken by a noise that the house made and then noticed my lamp
quivering at my bedside."
17. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Co., near Quail Creek School: "Sounded like a loud
clap of thunder, didn't feel anything--just heard something"
18. Edmond, Oklahoma Co., Lea Court area: "I was sitting at the kitchen table,
talking with my son... I heard a sound, which concerned me because it
sounded like the Murrah bombing... I felt the house vibrate. It lasted
about 1 second"
Note: This is the second report which compared the earthquake sound to the
Murrah bombing of 1995 APR19, which killed 168 persons. Outside
Oklahoma, this is commonly called the "Oklahoma City Bombing"
19. Edmond, Logan Co., near Sooner and Waterloo: "I was brushing my teeth...
I heard a thump on the north side of my house. The house shook.
I thought a car had ran into the side of my house... [After the
earthquake} Pictures slightly crooked in my bedroom"
20. Warr Acres, Oklahoma Co., near 63rd and N. Mcarthur, "Heard a very sudden
loud boom followed by the rattling of the kitchen windows. Boom sounded
like a very loud clap of thunder or as if something had exploded. I
quickly checked for thunderstorms in the area (there were none)
and checked to see if my furnace had exploded (it had not). House
suddenly and briefly shook. My cat was startled.
(after the quake) I noticed that the metal front door (outside door to
porch) squeaked very loudly when opened and closed. Prior to the quake,
[the] door did not squeak. (Applying oil generously to the door hinges
quieted the squeak.)"
21. Edmond, Oklahoma Co., Arrowhead Valley: "...hear a low rumbling as well
as feeling the floor roll ever so litely."
22. Edmond, Logan Co., near Waterloo Church of the Nazarene: "Sleeping. I was
concerned that another terrorist attack had occurred
...Awakened by what sounded like distant bomb blast or thunder. Felt
vibration simular to that of a close lighting strike. Windows rattled and
floor had a slight vibration."
23. Edmond, Oklahoma Co., near Coffee Creek and Sorghum Mill roads: "I heard a
distant rumble. I thought there was an explosion somewhere...
At the same time I heard the rumble I felt some vibration and heard
all the joists in the house snap and pop"
24. Edmond, near Oklahoma/Logan Co. boundary near N. Waterloo road and
Broadway: "House shook as if from a tuunder boom... house jolted...
like the Murrah bomb"
25. Midwest City, Oklahoma Co., near Rose College: "...for no reason at all my
bed moved. It felt like someone bumped it. It was a very definite movement"
(USPS)
26. Edmond, Oklahoma (?) Co., near Coffee Creek Road: "...heard what he thought
was thunder, a prolonged low rumble of thunder. It rattled the windows
of our house for about 5-10 seconds." (email)
27. Edmond, Oklahoma Co., near Waterloo, Kelly, and Oaktree: "thought it was a
bomb or sonic boom. I also felt the window in the bedroom shake. house
shook as after a concussion of some kind."
28. Edmond, Logan Co., N of Waterloo and Santa Fe: "house shook throughout-not as
intense as the Murrah Building Bombing. Thought it might have been
a sonic boom. I was awake trying to go to sleep. No one who was asleep
was awakned."
29. Edmond, Oklahoma Co., near Chisholm Elementary School: "heard a boom -
more distant than distant thunder. House shook".
30. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Co., Quail Creek School Area: "secured
Christmas tree had fallen over".
31. Edmond, Oklahoma Co., 1/2 mi WNW of Ida Freeman Elementary:
"Heard two rather loud noises a couple of minutes apart. They sounded
distant. The sound was a distant kind of noise that Imight be the local
trains banging each other about a mile away to the East. I was barefoot
so I noticed a bit of suttle vibration on the floor in association with
the first noise. I was standing still for the first one, and was walking
on the second. My little girl felt the first one and said 'Daddy, what
was that?'"
OKLAHOMA EARTHQUAKE CATALOG INDEX