Earthquake of 5.3 Magnitude Strikes Southeastern New Mexico and Nearby Texas

An earthquake measuring 5.3 on the Richter scale jolted parts of southeastern New Mexico and West Texas late Saturday evening.

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the seismic event was pinpointed at 7:47 p.m. local time, with its epicenter situated in West Texas, roughly 35 miles south of Whites City, New Mexico.

Whites City lies close to the Carlsbad Caverns National Park, in proximity to the Texas border and approximately 95 miles from Roswell, New Mexico.

The quake's depth was measured at 3.9 miles. Jennifer Armendariz, the emergency management official for Eddy County, New Mexico, including Whites City, informed CBS News via email that many locals felt the tremor; however, no damage reports were filed with dispatch centers or her office at the time.

By 8:50 p.m., more than 800 individuals had reported feeling the earthquake using the USGS' online reporting tool.