A 5.1-magnitude earthquake shook Oklahoma just after 9 a.m. Wednesday, and tremors were reported everywhere from the Kansas state line to the Red River.
The U.S. Geological Survey reported the earthquake was centered at Lake Thunderbird State Park, about six miles southeast of Norman.
"It came in loud and strong on all of our seismic stations and we are checking all of our equipment now," said Randy Keller, director at the Oklahoma Geological Survey.
Oklahoma Gov. Brad Henry said today that state authorities are in the process of reviewing state infrastructure in the wake of this morning’s earthquake in Oklahoma.
“Teams are already in the field examining roads, bridges and other state structures to determine if any damage occurred and whether any additional actions are necessary to protect public safety,” Henry said in a statement. “There’s certainly no reason to panic, but we want to err on the side of caution and do everything we can to make sure people and structures are safe.”
The Oklahoma Turnpike Authority, along with their consulting engineer, The Benham Companies, began inspections on all bridges located around the Oklahoma City metro area after Wednesday morning's 5.1 magnitude earthquake.
911 dispatchers in the Tulsa area reported getting 50 to 60 calls following the quake from residents wondering what caused the shaking.
Dispatch Supervisor Michael Pittman said no one called to report an emergency in the Tulsa area concerning the quake.
None of the calls were from overly worried residents, he said, "But some of the people here were."
At Hale High School, students were in the halls getting ready for their first class to start at 9:10 a.m.
Principal Caleb Starr said a secretary in the main office felt the quake, so an e-mail was sent out to all teachers, directing them to discuss what happened with their students.
"We knew there would be a lot of second-hand information and we didn't want them to worry all day. We also had all of the teachers go over the procedures for a disaster drill, just in case anything would have happened again," Starr said.
Julie Gentz, a spokeswoman for Williams Cos. Inc., said building tech crews determined the Bank of Oklahoma Tower is structurally sound, but hairline fractures were found on the plaza level.
The crews are going floor to floor checking for damage, but employees on the 50th floor did not feel a thing, Gentz said.
The fractures are nearly invisible, but were caused in the quake, she said.
"Little to no damage has been reported in the Tulsa area," according to Michael Willis of the Tulsa Area Emergency Management Agency. "Broken windows and other minor damage was reported in the Norman and Oklahoma City area."
Two people were taken to a Norman hospital with apparent minor injuries after an earthquake rattled central Oklahoma and was felt in southern Kansas.
Emergency Medical Services Authority spokeswoman Lara O'Leary told the Associated Press that one man fell off a ladder during the Wednesday morning quake and is in good condition. She said she did not have details on the second person's injuries but that the person is in good condition.
(source:tulsaworld.com)
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