People throughout Johnson County reported feeling an earthquake Wednesday afternoon, and the United States Geological Survey confirmed that a 3.2-magnitude tremor occurred about 10 miles northwest of downtown Cleburne.

 

The earthquake was recorded just before 4:31 p.m., with the epicenter on County Road 1124, about one mile wast of FM 4 and four miles west of State Highway 171, according to USGS data.

 

"I was sitting in my easy chair at about 4:30, 4:31 and I felt a simultaneous boom and a sensation of wind blowing through my house," said Mike Scarlett, who lives on County Road 1022, about 1-1/2 miles west of Joshua. "I heard the sounds of my house creaking from one side of the house to the other side. My grandfather clock started chiming."

 

The quake seemed to be felt the most east and west of the site. Some 23 people from Granbury reported feeling the event to the USGS, as did 21 people from Joshua, as of noon Thursday. Eighteen reports came from Cleburne, 10 from Godley, three from Burleson and one each from Keene and Alvarado.

 

People as far away as Kansas City, Mo., and Houston reported experiences with the earthquake, according to the USGS.

Mike Johnston, director of the Johnson County Emergency Services District No. 1, said he and the volunteer fire departments in the surrounding area did not feel the quake.

 

That doesn't mean it wasn't felt.

 

"A friend called me from Cleburne, and she was home alone," Scarlett said. "She said she felt her chair move."