Overview of building damages after the November 7, 2016 Oklahoma, USA Earthquake

Overview of Building Damages

The magnitude 5.0 earthquake two kilometers west of Cushing, Oklahoma, on November 7, 2016 (USGS); caused moderate to severe damage to 40 to 50 buildings.

“Cushing City Manager, Steve Spears, said 40 to 50 buildings were damaged. No major injuries have been reported. Spears said the damage included cracks to buildings and fallen bricks and facades. The Oklahoma Department of Transportation reported Sunday night that no highway or bridge damage was found within a 15-mile radius of the earthquake’s epicenter” (Source). The damage is spread across 16 blocks and Spears mentioned these damages include “Major cracks, 1/4 to 1/2 inch cracks, pieces of the facade has come off into the street” (Source).

Figure 1. Photo by Jim Beckel, AP. (Source)	Figure 2. Photo by Jim Beckel, AP. (Source)

Cushing Schools were closed on November 7, 2016, to assess earthquake damage and ensure safety of students. Cushing Upper Elementary school did have some damage. The Cushing school district posted some update pictures of schools on their Facebook page (Source: Cushing school district Facebook page).

Figure 3. Before and after the earthquake, Cushing Upper Elementary school (Source)	Figure 4. Before and after the earthquake, Cushing Upper Elementary school (Source)	Figure 5. Before and after the earthquake, Cushing Upper Elementary school (Source)