A powerful magnitude 5.4 earthquake shook West Texas Wednesday afternoon, according to the United States Geological Survey.
The earthquake was detected shortly after 3:30 p.m. near the Loving County community of Mentone, about 35 miles northwest of Pecos, at a depth of about 5 miles.
It was first recorded by the USGS as a 5.3 and later updated to a magnitude 5.4, according to its online tracker.
The intensity of the quake was rated as MMI VII, indicating very strong shaking that could be felt by everyone, including those sleeping, and chimneys could be damaged by the movement.
Within hours, several aftershocks were detected near the epicenter of the quake with magnitudes ranging from 2.6 to as strong as 3.8.
No injuries or significant damage have been immediately reported in connection with the earthquake and aftershocks.
It is the third-strongest earthquake ever to strike Texas, and the strongest since 1995, local NBC station KWES-TV reported. The largest earthquake ever recorded in Texas occurred in the Big Bend area, near Valentine, where a 5.8-magnitude quake was recorded in 1931.
