M5.1 Earthquake 8 km NW of Prague, Oklahoma — February 3, 2024
2024-02-03 05:24:28 UTC (2024-02-03) · approx. 11:24 PM UTC-6 local
Felt by 26,480 people across a wide area. Maximum shaking intensity MMI 7.2 (severe).
On February 3, 2024 at 05:24 UTC, a magnitude 5.1 shallow crustal earthquake struck 8 km NW of Prague, Oklahoma, at a depth of 3.0 km and coordinates 35.5343°, -96.7638°. The earthquake was reported felt by 26,480 peopleacross a wide area, with a maximum shaking intensity of Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) 7.2 (severe). The USGS PAGER system issued a green alert level for this event, indicating no significant casualties or damage expected. This earthquake was detected by 64 seismic stations with good location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 1084, making it one of the most significant global earthquakes in recent days. The nearest populated place is Meeker (population 1,144).
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 5.1 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 587 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 1.9 km — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.
The epicenter is located in Oklahoma, a region characterized by induced seismicity from high-volume wastewater injection into the Arbuckle Group formation, which reactivates ancient basement faults. View all earthquakes in Oklahoma.
Learn more: Magnitude scale · Aftershock sequences
Nearest Populated Places
What the Shaking Felt Like
At MMI 7.2 (severe), people in the most strongly affected areas would have experienced: Very strong shaking. Difficult to stand. Damage to weak structures; slight damage to well-built structures. Furniture broken. Fallen plaster and loose bricks.
ShakeMap — predicted shaking intensity
Modeled ground-motion intensity contoured on the Modified Mercalli scale (MMI). Computed by the USGS from the moment-tensor solution and regional ground-motion prediction equations.
Source: U.S. Geological Survey ShakeMap. View interactive ShakeMap on USGS
Did You Feel It? — community-reported shaking
Aggregated felt-report intensity from 26,480 citizen responses to the USGS Did You Feel It? system. Each colored zone represents the average MMI from reports in that area.
Source: U.S. Geological Survey Did You Feel It?. View on USGS · submit your own report
Population exposure (USGS PAGER)
Estimated population that experienced each level of shaking. Based on the USGS PAGER rapid impact assessment, which combines ShakeMap output with global population grids.
| Shaking intensity (MMI) | Description | Population exposed |
|---|---|---|
| MMI 3 | weak | 1,956,706 |
| MMI 4 | light | 2,394,260 |
| MMI 5 | moderate | 18,800 |
| MMI 6 | strong | 1,603 |
| MMI 7 | very strong | 248 |
Earthquake Details
-96.7638°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 5.1 earthquake near Prague, Oklahoma?
The magnitude 5.1 earthquake that struck 8 km NW of Prague, Oklahoma on February 3, 2024 at 05:24 UTC had a depth of 3.0 km. It was felt by 26,480 people with maximum shaking intensity of MMI 7.2 (severe). For context, this was a moderate earthquake that could be widely felt.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 35.5343°, -96.7638°, which is 8 km NW of Prague, Oklahoma. The nearest populated place is Meeker (population 1,144). View all earthquakes in Oklahoma.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 5.1 earthquakes can continue for days to weeks and gradually diminish over time.
Has Oklahoma had earthquakes this big before?
The largest recorded earthquake in Oklahoma was the M5.8 Pawnee earthquake of September 3, 2016. Today's magnitude 5.1 event is within one magnitude unit of that historical record.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: ok2024cish). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2024, February 3, 2024). M5.1 Earthquake 8 km NW of Prague, Oklahoma — February 3, 2024. Retrieved January 18, 2026 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/ok2024cish/