Earthquake felt in the Ponca City area

An earthquake was felt in Ponca City and the surrounding area around 3:40 pm.

CONWAY SPRINGS, Kan. (AP) – An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 4.8 has shaken parts of Kansas and Oklahoma.

The U.S. Geological Survey says the quake struck around 3:40 p.m. Wednesday. It had an epicenter about 8 miles south of Conway Springs, Kansas, which is a town of about 1,200 people about 30 miles southwest of Wichita. It wasn’t immediately clear how much damage the quake may have caused.

The southern part of Kansas has been experiencing an upsurge in earthquakes this year. A panel commissioned by Kansas Governor Sam Brownback found there wasn’t enough evidence to link the temblors to oil and gas exploration. The panel is recommending more study and the installation of more monitoring stations.