Oklahoma Oil Hub Damaged by Earthquake

On Sunday evening, a 5.0 magnitude earthquake struck Cushing, Oklahoma, a major oil hub and one of the nation's largest oil storage terminals. No major injuries were reported.

The quake caused significant structural damage to over 40 buildings in the area. Building damage included cracking and fallen debris. Fortunately, the oil terminal itself was undamaged. Pipeline companies in the area reported no problems, however they temporarily shut down production as a precautionary measure. In addition, no highway or bridge damage was reported in a 15 mile radius from the epicenter. 

Recently, Oklahoma has experience a high number of earthquakes. Sunday's quake was the third event over a 5.0 magnitude this year. Thousands of smaller earthquakes have been recorded in Oklahoma over the past few years with over two dozen in the past week alone. The USGS believes they are the result of wastewater injection from the production of oil and natural gas.