An earthquake struck south-central Nebraska near the Kansas border this afternoon, with residents reporting shaking across a wide area stretching from Omaha to Manhattan, Kansas. The quake caused no significant damage, according to preliminary assessments.
The U.S. Geological Survey measured the earthquake at magnitude 4.1, with the epicenter located near the Webster County village of Cowles. A separate report from the German Research Centre for Geosciences placed the magnitude at 4.6, while the citizen-seismograph network RaspberryShake estimated it at 4.7. Agencies frequently issue differing preliminary readings in the hours following a seismic event, and figures are subject to revision as seismologists review additional data.
The quake occurred around 12:59 p.m. local time at a shallow depth of approximately 6.2 miles beneath the surface. Shallow earthquakes tend to be felt more broadly at ground level than deeper ones of comparable magnitude.
How widely the shaking was felt
The USGS received dozens of reports from people who felt the quake. In Lawrence, a village of about 300 residents located six miles from the epicenter, shaking was described as light. In Superior, about 18 miles away with a population of roughly 1,900, residents reported weaker movement. Hastings, the largest city in the immediate region with nearly 25,000 residents, sits about 26 miles from the epicenter and also reported noticeable but mild shaking…