In the early morning of Thursday July 23rd, 2026, an unusually powerful Magnitude 5.0 earthquake hit under land 25 miles from Pampa in The United States. Shaking may have been felt by a total of 740 thousand people.
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Earthquake Summary
The earthquake struck on land in The United States, 25 miles (41 km) north of Pampa in Texas. The center of this earthquake had a very shallow depth of 4 km. Shallow earthquakes usually have a larger impact than earthquakes deep in the earth.
| Date and Time: | Jul 23, 2026 05:21AM (Chicago Time) - Jul 23, 2026 10:21 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 25 mi north of Pampa, Texas, The United States. Coordinates 35°54'7"N 100°58'34"W. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.0 Detected by 44 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.047 . |
| Depth: | 4 mi (6 km) A very shallow depth. |
| Max. Intensity: | VII
Very Strong On the Modified Mercalli Scale. |
| Tsunami Risk: | Tsunami very unlikely While this was a shallow earthquake, it appears to have occurred under land with a magnitude not strong enough to cause tsunami's. Always stay cautious - More info here. |
Minimal impact predicted
Based on scientific estimates by the US Geographic Survey (USGS), the risk of high fatalities for this earthquake is classified at level GREEN (low). They expect an 95% likelyhood of between 0 and 1 fatalities.
The USGS classifies the economic impact of this earthquake at level GREEN (low). They expect an 90% likelyhood of between 0 and 1 million US Dollars in economic damage and impact.
Roughly 740 thousand people exposed to shaking
An estimated 740 thousand have been exposed to shaking (An MMI or Modified Mercalli Intensity level II or higher) as a result of this earthquake according scientific estimates published by the USGS.
Strong shaking and probably light damage may have been experienced by an estimated 0 people. At VI, it is the highest MMI level this earthquake has caused. Intensity level III was experienced by the majority of people (around 610 thousand). In their region, weak shaking and probably no damage can be expected.
| People | MMI Level | Shaking | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | I |
Not noticable | None |
| 0 | II |
Very weak | None |
| 611,400 | III |
Weak | Probably none |
| 132,400 | IV |
Light | Likely none |
| 60 | V |
Moderate | Very light |
| 0 | VI |
Strong | Light |
| 0 | VII |
Very Strong | Moderate |
| 0 | VIII |
Severe | Moderate to heavy |
| 0 | IX |
Violent | Heavy |
| 0 | X |
Extreme | Very heavy |
Nearby towns and cities
This earthquake may have been felt in The United States . The closest significant population center near the earthquake is Pampa in Texas, The United States. Pampa is located 25 miles (41 km) north of the epicenter. The intensity of shaking and damage in Pampa is estimated to be around level IV on the Modified Mercalli Intensity scale (light shaking, likely no damage).
The table below provides an overview of all places in proximity of today's earthquake. Where available, the estimated intensity on the Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale in each place is included. Places where this information is omitted likely experienced little impact.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place | Intensity (MMI) |
|---|---|---|
| 25 mi (41 km) S from epicenter |
Pampa Texas, The United States. |
IV
Light |
| 56 mi (90 km) W from epicenter |
Dumas Texas, The United States. |
IV
Light |
| 67 mi (108 km) SW from epicenter |
Amarillo Texas, The United States. |
III
Weak |
| 79 mi (127 km) N from epicenter |
Liberal Kansas, The United States. |
III
Weak |
| 110 mi (177 km) SW from epicenter |
Hereford Texas, The United States. |
III
Weak |
| 126 mi (202 km) S from epicenter |
Plainview Texas, The United States. |
III
Weak |
| 127 mi (205 km) SE from epicenter |
Altus Oklahoma, The United States. |
III
Weak |
| 139 mi (223 km) N from epicenter |
Dodge City Kansas, The United States. |
|
| 143 mi (230 km) N from epicenter |
Garden City Kansas, The United States. |
|
| 163 mi (262 km) SW from epicenter |
Clovis New Mexico, The United States. |
|
| 168 mi (271 km) S from epicenter |
Lubbock Texas, The United States. |
|
| 171 mi (275 km) SE from epicenter |
Lawton Oklahoma, The United States. |
|
| 171 mi (276 km) E from epicenter |
El Reno Oklahoma, The United States. |
|
| 176 mi (283 km) E from epicenter |
Enid Oklahoma, The United States. |
|
| 181 mi (291 km) E from epicenter |
Chickasha Oklahoma, The United States. |
|
| 182 mi (293 km) E from epicenter |
Yukon Oklahoma, The United States. |
|
| 186 mi (299 km) E from epicenter |
Mustang Oklahoma, The United States. |
Earthquake Intensity Map
The maximum intensity (MMI Scale) caused by this earthquake is VI. The map below shows in which areas this earthquake was the most and least impactful. It is based on data from the US Geographic Survey.
Risk of aftershocks?
We have not yet detected any foreshocks or aftershocks (MAG-2.5 or higher) within 100km (62 mi) of this earthquake.
Earthquakes can create aftershocks. These are generally at least 1 magnitude lower than any main shock, and as time passes the chance and strength of aftershocks decreases.
It's always adviced to be cautious of the risk of a larger shock following any significant earthquake, however this risk is fairly small. There is a roughly 94 percent change that no larger main shock will follow in the days following this earthquake.
Read: How to Stay Safe during an Earthquake (cdc.gov).This is an unusually powerful earthquake
No earthquake of this strength has struck this region for a long time. Our data goes back 10 years, and no earthquakes measuring a magnitude of 5 or higher have been detected within 300 km (186 mi) of this epicenter.
Tsunami very unlikely
While MAG-6.5+ earthquakes may cause tsunami's, it appears that the epicenter of this earthquake hit under land. In addition, the reported depth is deeper than 100km, making the risk of a tsunami even less likely. However always stay cautious and monitor advice from local authorities.
Tsunami Risk Factors
| Factor | Under Sea? | MAG-6.5 or stronger? | Shallow depth? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Explanation | Almost all tsunami's are caused by earthquakes with their epicenter under sea or very near the sea. However stay cautious in coastal areas as earthquakes on land may cause landslides into sea, potentially still causing a local tsunami. | Under MAG 6.5: Very unlikely to cause a tsunami. MAG 6.5 to 7.5: Destructive tsunami's do occur, but are uncommon. Likely to observe small sea level changes. MAG 7.6+: Earthquakes with these magnitudes might produce destructive tsunami's. |
Most destructive tsunami's are caused by shallow earthquakes with a depth between 0 and 100km under the surface of the earth. Deeper tsunami's are unlikely to displace to ocean floor. |
| This Earthquake | Not this earthquake. This earthquake appears to have struck on land far from any coast. |
Not this earthquake. This earthquake had a magnitude of 5. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
This earthquake occurred at a depth of of 4 mi (6 km). Earthquakes this shallow could trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 23/07/26 23:38 (). This article contains currently available information about the earthquake and is automatically composed. We continue to update this article up to a few days after the earthquake occurred.
- US Geographic Society (USGS): Earthquake tx2026ojlaky
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20260723_0000153
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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