Oklahoma now more quake-prone than California
Source: CBS News
CRESCENT, Okla.- The U.S. Geological Survey says an earthquake with a magnitude of 4.2 struck central Oklahoma. The USGS says the quake centered about 3 miles north-northeast of the Logan County town of Crescent struck just before midnight Monday.
The quakes came the same day as the release of a USGS survey that found Oklahoma has a 1 in 8 chance of damaging quakes in 2016, surpassing California as the state with the highest probability.
"In the past five years, the USGS has documented high shaking and damage in areas of these six states, mostly from induced earthquakes," said Mark Petersen, Chief of the USGS National Seismic Hazard Mapping Project. "Furthermore, the USGS Did You Feel It? website has archived tens of thousands of reports from the public who experienced shaking in those states, including about 1,500 reports of strong shaking or damage."
The state has seen a flurry of earthquake activity this year, averaging 2.5 temblors per day. Before 2008, the average was one and a half per year. Most geologists connect the spike in earthquakes to the state's oil and gas industry -- and its disposal of massive amounts of water into underground caverns.
Read more: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/oklahoma-now-more-quake-prone-than-california/
Key point in the article - Oklahoma now averages 2.5 quakes per DAY, before 2008 the average was 1.5 per YEAR. And the oil & gas industry has the nerve to claim there's no proof to link their activities with the increased incidence of earthquakes.
Roland99
(53,342 posts)too many slam dunks!
DhhD
(4,695 posts)USGS report looks at North Texas seismic, earthquake risks
http://fuelfix.com/blog/2016/03/27/usgs-report-looks-at-north-texas-seismic-earthquake-risks/?utm_source=WhatCountsEmail&utm_medium=newsmail_free_fuelfix&utm_campaign=FuelFixNewsLetter
The southern bank of the Red River is the state line between Texas and Oklahoma.
ViseGrip
(3,133 posts)Hillary wants to regulate it better, according to her in the debate.
redstatebluegirl
(12,265 posts)appalachiablue
(41,127 posts)FighttheFuture
(1,313 posts)Ahhh.... the circle of Predatory Capitalist's life!
redstatebluegirl
(12,265 posts)However, it does worry me since our homes are not built to withstand this. How many homes already have invisible foundation damage from all of these small quakes?
yesphan
(1,587 posts)Cracks in the walls now and my sewer line is being affected.
redstatebluegirl
(12,265 posts)We live in Norman so it isn't as bad as other parts of the state for sure. I am sorry yours is already that bad.... We have earthquake insurance but people tell me it is pretty useless.
yesphan
(1,587 posts)Do you have a slab foundation and if so, how does one get it checked ?
CountAllVotes
(20,868 posts)I live in a house that has a slab floor. I noted when we first looked at it there was a huge crack in it (two 7 magnitude quakes in one night will do that!) as it was fully exposed as the carpets had been ripped up, thus exposing the crack. They were able to seal the crack up and best I know, it is now a non-issue after the new carpeting was put in. We've had no more huge quakes in some time but yes, it could happen again and it will happen again.
As for the rest of it -- earthquake insurance seems pretty useless being it has a $15K deductible here in California. I don't have it myself and figure is any seismic event were to occur that could to that much damage to this very small house I live in, I too may be a casualty.
redstatebluegirl
(12,265 posts)My husband said a person at work said to call one of the companies that repair foundations and they will check it. They also said to get a second opinion. You can also call a structural engineer, but I would think that would cost more money.
CountAllVotes
(20,868 posts)The only way they can tell is to pull up the carpeting and look at the floor. He'd know as he is a retired carpenter and worked for 50 years as one in San Francisco for the most part, so he's seen plenty of it.
I don't see how a company could see a crack under carpeting on top of a slab floor unless they have some sort of high tech x-ray type of equipment (??). However, it can become a serious problems what with water/weather damage, insects, etc. etc.
Tess49
(1,579 posts)being affected?
yesphan
(1,587 posts)it is loosening the joints which allows roots to get in. Also, if there is a slight upshift in the soil the pipe may be pushed level or
even up slightly which can cause dams to form in the pipe. That's my theory anyway. One thing I know for sure, I'm having to snake
my line about once a month now.
Tess49
(1,579 posts)of roots. Hope it doesn't get worse. I live in an older neighborhood, just west of campus, with huge trees everywhere. Roots galore.
Baobab
(4,667 posts)and attaching it to the top with a bit of slack. Large things need to be anchored down.
Baobab
(4,667 posts)Sometimes a whole row of houses all fall off together.
chapdrum
(930 posts)has far greater weight than the right of citizens to not place themselves and their property at arbitrarily increased risk of death and/or damage
The USGS may be among the very last agencies that the industry has not commandeered.
But after this, I'll bet it's setting its crosshairs on that agency.
Baobab
(4,667 posts)Mrs. Ted Nancy
(462 posts)I live in an older home and have had to replace plumbing, numerous cracks in the walls, front porch starting to separate from the house. It's a mess.
Baobab
(4,667 posts)its more likely to be safe.
yuiyoshida
(41,831 posts)tweeted