Last night and this morning, portions of the southeast experienced a series of earthquakes, as reported by USGS. The first earthquake occurred in Louisville, Tennessee, followed by another in Elgin, South Carolina, and finally in Benton, Tennessee. Fortunately, these earthquakes were weak and did not cause any damage or injuries. However, residents in the affected areas did report feeling the shaking using USGS’s online earthquake reporting tool, “Did you feel it?”.
Last night at 8:17 pm, an earthquake occurred just outside of Louisville, Tennessee. The earthquake, with a magnitude of 1.5, originated from a depth of 15.1 km. The epicenter was located in an area near the Appalachian Mountains, which has been experiencing weak seismic activity.
At 3:47 am, a second earthquake hit near Elgin, South Carolina. This earthquake, with a magnitude of 2.0, originated from a depth of 3.1 km. The event took place in an area where a series of earthquakes has been occurring for the past few years, leaving seismologists perplexed.
An unusual earthquake struck the same general area on Monday, December 27, 2021, at 2:18 pm in the afternoon. Since then, the quakes have continued intermittently, with dozens reported in 2022, 2023, and 2024. The initial earthquake, measuring 3.3 magnitude, occurred 30 miles north of Columbia, South Carolina, at a shallow depth of 3.1 km. According to USGS, more than 3,100 residents reported feeling the tremors, with one report of shaking coming from as far away as Rock Hill, which is located at the North/South Carolina state border. Although many people felt the earthquake, no damage was reported in the Palmetto State. Following the initial earthquake, ten more quakes occurred, ranging in intensity from a magnitude 1.5 to a magnitude 2.6 event. The second earthquake struck three hours and twenty minutes after the first one. The last earthquake in that series occurred on the morning of January 5, temporarily putting an end to the seismic activity. However, the swarm of earthquakes returned multiple times throughout 2022, causing anxiety among locals and perplexing local officials who were unsure of their source or cause.
Over the past year, South Carolina has experienced a total of 35 earthquakes, with several occurring in close proximity to this morning’s seismic event. The most powerful earthquake recorded in South Carolina within the last 365 days was a magnitude 2.7 tremor that occurred near Elgin on March 9. The cause of these frequent earthquakes is still uncertain, leaving scientists puzzled.
At 4:40 am, the third earthquake in the southeast series hit near Benton, Tennessee. This earthquake, with a magnitude of 1.9, originated from a depth of 16.9 km. Just like the first earthquake, it occurred in the same general area of seismic activity.