KSAT Explains: Should we be concerned about increase in earthquakes in South Texas? [Video]

FIRST-HAND ACCOUNT

Paul Riggs lives a quiet life in eastern Atascosa County. Minus the sound of cattle, there’s not much noise. Which is why the cloud-free night of July 19, 2023 was so startling.

“We were totally asleep. I mean, me and my wife and the dog, and all of a sudden, we heard a big boom,” Riggs said. “I thought somebody hit our metal gate. I grabbed the flashlight, grabbed my gun, and went out to investigate.”

Just down the road, Paul’s father, Weldon, had a similar reaction.

“I went out and looked around, and thought maybe our butane tank had exploded. I thought some plane crashed or something like that,” he said.

There was enough concern that Weldon Riggs called the sheriff’s office.

”They said, ‘No, y’all had an earthquake’ and this was about 11:30 p.m.,” Riggs recalled. “And I said, ‘No, earthquakes don’t explode like that.’ I mean, it …