5.0-magnitude earthquake strikes Texas panhandle
The News
A 5.0-magnitude earthquake struck the Texas panhandle early Thursday morning, with no reported injuries or deaths. The quake, the strongest in the area since 1900, occurred at a depth of 3.5 miles and had its epicenter near Spearman, about 68 miles from Amarillo. The US Geological Survey reported the event, which took place at around 5:21 a.m. local time.
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The Analysis
Intelligence Brief
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Epicenter located 27.8 miles southeast of Spearman
The epicenter was about 27.8 miles (38.3km) south-east of Spearman and approximately 68 miles (109km) from Amarillo.
4 claims still need verification.
No forecast extracted yet.
4 unresolved.
Key findings
The earthquake was the strongest to hit the area since 1900.
The Guardian- Epicenter located 27.8 miles southeast of Spearman
- Depth measured at 3.5 miles
Plain English
Loaded language removed<p>No injuries or deaths were reported from early-morning temblor whose epicenter was 68 miles from Amarillo</p><ul><li><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/news/2026/feb/17/sign-up-for-the-breaking-news-us-email-to-get-newsletter-alerts-direct-to-your-inbox?utm_medium=ACQUISITIONS_STANDFIRST utm_campaign=BN22326 utm_content=signup utm_term=standfirst utm_source=GUARDIAN_WEB">Sign up for the…
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This angle has contested claims
Claims
The earthquake was the strongest to hit the area since 1900.
The GuardianNo injuries or deaths were reported from the earthquake.
The GuardianThe earthquake struck at around 5.21am at a depth of 3.5 miles (5.7km).
The GuardianThe epicenter was about 27.8 miles (38.3km) south-east of Spearman and approximately 68 miles (109km) from Amarillo.
The Guardian