3.3 quake hits north Arlington; no damage or injuries reported

By MITCH MITCHELL - Fort Worth Star Telegram, May 17, 2009
A minor earthquake centered in north Arlington shook residents as far away as Grapevine late Saturday morning, but no damage or injuries were reported.

The earthquake registered a magnitude of 3.3, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

That is enough to disturb pictures hanging on the wall but not much else, said Jesse Moore, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.

"Most people would not have realized it," he said. "We did get a dozen reports or so about the ground shaking and that sort of thing. You generally don’t start seeing any sort of damage until it’s a 5."

The Geological Survey listed the coordinates of the epicenter as 32.796 degrees north and 97.091 degrees west. That placed it in undeveloped north Arlington east of Collins Street and north of the Trinity River. The survey reported the time as 11:24:06 a.m.

It was the third North Texas tremor in less than seven months. Two small jolts hit southwest Irving late Oct. 30 and early Oct. 31. The first was a 2.5, the second a 3.0. They awakened residents in Fort Worth, Irving, Euless and Grand Prairie.

"We do get earthquakes in this area, but they are relatively rare," Moore said. "We are not in an area with a lot of tectonic activity. Most of the earthquakes will be in West Texas."

Robert Budack, who lives in Irving, told The Associated Press that he was on his bed and got bounced to the wall but was not hurt. Budack said he felt an aftershock that "was enough to make the couch and chairs shake."

Some may have thought the shaking was due to one of several thunderstorms that rumbled through the area Saturday. The National Weather Service recorded 0.46 inch of rain at Dallas/Fort Worth Airport just before 5 p.m.

This report includes material from the Star-Telegram archives and The Associated Press.
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