Cluster of Earthquakes Rattles South-Central Kansas

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A cluster of earthquakes with epicenters in east Wichita have rattled south-central Kansas over two days, the strongest one about a magnitude 3.9.

The Kansas Geological Survey reported on its website five quakes Sunday and three Monday.

The shaking started early Sunday morning with the first 3.5 magnitude earthquake at 6:29 a.m., according to Kansas geologists. The second earthquake hit two minutes later with a recorded magnitude of 3.7. A third with a magnitude of 3.2 came at 7:02 a.m. It was followed by a 2.2 magnitude quake at 8:30 a.m. The largest with a 3.9 magnitude hit at 6:08 p.m.

The quakes resumed early Monday with a 2.5 magnitude one striking shortly after midnight. It was followed later that morning by a couple quakes that struck within minutes of each other. The first one that hit at 8:52 a.m. was a magnitude of 3.4, followed seven minutes later by one of 3.6 magnitude.

Preliminary epicenters appear to be clustered in east Wichita, the Wichita Eagle reported.

People reported feeling the strongest quakes throughout south-central Kansas, with some reports coming from near Salina and Emporia.

The two highest magnitude earthquakes recorded in Kansas were a roughly 5.2 in Manhattan in 1867 and one of around magnitude 5.0 in Sumner County in 2014.