HERMLEIGH, Texas — Three earthquakes hit West Texas late Monday night, according to officials.
The earthquakes were registered near the town of Hermleigh, about 56 miles northwest of Abilene, at 10:38 p.m., 10:46 p.m. and 11:56 p.m., according to data from the U.S. Geological Survey.
The first earthquake registered as a 4.9 on the Richter scale, which is still on the light end of the scale but strong enough to be felt across the region. The second earthquake was a 4.4 and the last earthquake was a 3.1, according to the Geological Survey.
The three earthquakes all happened in the same area about 11 miles northeast of Hermleigh, a town of around 500 people in Scurry County. This is around 250 miles west of Dallas. The earthquakes happened about 4.78 miles below the surface, the data said.
While the exact cause of the earthquakes wasn't yet known, the West Texas area has seen an increased number of earthquakes in recent years due to fracking activity.
A 4.9 earthquake is generally considered light enough that it might not be felt, though there were reports of residents feeling it across the West Texas region, according to the Geological Survey.
There were no initial reports of damage.
More information about the earthquakes was not initially available Tuesday morning.