An earthquake that measured 3.7 in magnitude shook southern Shelby and northern Nacogdoches County this morning.
According to the United States Geological Survey, the earthquake epicenter was located 2 miles WSW of Timpson, Texas. The earthquake was felt in Garrison, Appleby and Martinsville areas of Nacogdoches County.
The Nacogdoches County Sheriff’s Department and the Texas Department of Public Safety are currently surveying damage. There have been no confirmed reports of serious damage or injuries in Nacogdoches County.
There are no reports of damage or any activity within the City of Nacogdoches.
“County Judge Joe English has been in contact with the Natural Resources Conservation Service, and they will be checking the dam at Lake Naconiche for any structural damage”, said Greg Sowell, Public Information Officer for Emergency Management. “There is no obvious damage there, but the lake is in the area where the quake was felt”.
A limited Emergency Operations Center has been opened in the courthouse to monitor the situation.
A gas leak was reported about the same time on State Highway 7 east, but was not related to the earthquake.
Further information will be announced when it becomes available.
The Nacogdoches County Unified Operations Center continues to operate on a limited scale to address issues related to this morning’s earthquake that was felt in northeastern Nacogdoches County.
County Judge Joe English reported that he has been in contact with Dr. Wesley Brown, a seismologist with Stephen F. Austin State University. Dr. Brown is acting as an informational resource in this response operation.
The Texas Department of Transportation crews are checking the structural integrity of bridges on state and federal highways in the area. Nacogdoches County Road and Bridge Department staff is checking bridges on county roads.
Officials from Union Pacific Railroad are checking railroad tracks and bridges in the area for safety.
The National Resource Conservation Service is sending officials from Waco to check the dam at Lake Naconiche.
As of this release, no damage or injuries have been reported or located within Nacogdoches County.
