Strongest Quake in Over a Century Hits Texas Panhandle

A magnitude 5.0 earthquake struck the Texas panhandle on July 23, 2026 — the strongest since records began in 1900. The USGS located the epicenter 38 km southeast of Spearman at a shallow 3.5-mile depth. No injuries were reported. Tremors reached western Oklahoma and southwestern Kansas. Whether the cause was natural or induced by wastewater injection from oil and gas operations remains under investigation.