Earthquake Strikes Kansas Just Before Game Time, and Chiefs Fans Are Taking Credit

Arrowhead Stadium is more than 200 miles away from Hutchinson, Kansas, but Kansas City Chiefs fans [...]

By Daniel S. Levine

Arrowhead Stadium is more than 200 miles away from Hutchinson, Kansas, but Kansas City Chiefs fans joked that the earthquake it there Sunday was caused by the excited fans at the AFC Championship Game. A 4.4 magnitude earthquake was reported Sunday around 1 p.m. near South Hutchinson, and was reportedly felt in neighboring cities throughout Kansas. Meanwhile, the Chiefs are facing the Tennessee Titans in Kansas City, Missouri for a berth to Super Bowl LIV.

KSN viewers reported feeling the earthquake in Salina, Lucas, Wichita, Park City, Hays and Andover. The U.S. Geological Service also reported two separate 2.4 magnitude earthquakes felt in neighboring Oklahoma.

Later, KSN reported the 4.4 magnitude earthquake was upgraded to a 4.5 temblor.

The earthquake happened in the same area where 17 earthquakes were reported in five days in August, reports Kansas.com. Those quakes are now under investigation by the Kansas Corporation Commission, which is focused on the underground disposal of oilfield waste.

"Amid damage reports and a concern for public safety, the KCC is conducting an investigation and will evaluate whether additional action is needed to safeguard Kansans," KCC spokeswoman Linda Berry said in a statement to Kansas.com in August.

The earthquakes in Kansas began happening in 2013, around the time the oil industry began an increase in "fracking," the term for using high-pressure liquid to break underground rock to get access to trapped oil and gas. Seismologists said fracking was not a direct cause of the earthquakes, but blamed the millions of barrels of wastewater it created, notes Kansas.com. Operators pump the wastewater underground, which can cause earthquakes by unbalancing deep-rock formations.

Of course, all the science behind the earthquakes in the Sunflower State did not stop Kansas City Chiefs fans from joking on Twitter that they are the cause of Sunday's quake.

"Rumor has it the rumbling at arrowhead is causing earthquakes in Kansas," one fan tweeted. "LET'S GO CHIEFS!!"

"Earthquake in Kansas," another tweeted. "Calm down Chief's fans."

"Bruh. Just felt a huge earthquake in hutch," another joked. "Must have been the Chiefs Kingdom."

"Wichita either just felt an earthquake or that's Arrowhead rocking hard!!" one resident wrote. "Or both! Go Chiefs."

Photo credit: Matthew Stockman/Getty Images

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