4.7-magnitude earthquake reported near Falls City, strongest of several this month

The earthquake was felt around San Antonio early Saturday morning, shortly after midnight

KARNES COUNTY, Texas – A 4.7-magnitude earthquake was reported near Falls City on Saturday morning — the strongest and latest of several earthquakes this month, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS).

USGS said the earthquake happened just after 12:30 a.m. about three kilometers southeast of the city, which is located in Karnes County. Its depth was 6.8 kilometers or 4.2 miles.

The earthquake was felt as far as 40-60 miles away, around San Antonio. Viewers from as far south as Karnes County and as far north as New Braunfels told KSAT they felt the temblor after midnight.

“It just sounded like a helicopter going over,” said Melissa Mczygemba, who lives in Falls City.

She said the quake shattered her window.

Here’s a look at how earthquakes are classified:

Scale of earthquake intensity (Copyright 2024 by KSAT - All rights reserved.)

This is just the latest of a series of earthquakes near Falls City this month. Previously, a 3.2 magnitude earthquake and a 3.5 magnitude earthquake were reported on Feb. 7th and 8th, respectively.

Three smaller earthquakes also shook the ground in Karnes County on Monday. According to the USGS, the strongest of the three quakes checked in with a magnitude of 3.9.

“It seems like every other day there’s something shaking,” said Falls City resident Gordon Jones.

Saturday morning’s example of an earthquake shaking portions of Karnes County, and area earthquakes are becoming more common.

On Jun. 15, 2019, the USGS reported a 3.6-magnitude tremor near Poth and Falls City.

Last summer, two small earthquakes shook 11 miles east of Jourdanton in neighboring Atascosa County.

Last September, four earthquakes hit Karnes County over a week.

In the video below, watch as KSAT meteorologist Justin Horne explains the increase in earthquakes in South Texas.

More earthquake coverage on KSAT:


About the Authors
Sarah Spivey headshot

Sarah Spivey is a San Antonio native who grew up watching KSAT. She has been a proud member of the KSAT Weather Authority Team since 2017. Sarah is a Clark High School and Texas A&M University graduate. She previously worked at KTEN News. When Sarah is not busy forecasting, she enjoys hanging out with her husband and cat, and playing music.

Rebecca Salinas headshot

Rebecca Salinas is the Digital Executive Producer at KSAT 12 News. A San Antonio native, Rebecca is an award-winning journalist who joined KSAT in 2019.

Loading...