According to USGS, an earthquake rattled South Carolina early this morning, not far from where a historic earthquake’s epicenter was. The earthquake which struck at 2:48 am, was very weak, being rated as a magnitude 1.6 event with an epicenter having a depth of 6 km. The earthquake struck just north-northwest of the town of Summerville which is north of North Charleston.
Generally, earthquakes with a magnitude of 2.0 or greater can be felt by most people. Earthquakes generally need a much greater intensity than that to do any harm. There have been no reports of damage or injuries from today’s quake.
According to the South Carolina Emergency Management Division (SCEMD), there are approximately 10-15 earthquakes every year in South Carolina, with most not felt by residents; on average, only 3-5 are felt each year. Most of South Carolina’s earthquakes are located in the Middleton Place-Summerville Seismic Zone. The two most significant historical earthquakes to occur in South Carolina were the 1886 Charleston-Summerville quake and the 1913 Union County quake. The 1886 earthquake in Charleston was the most damaging earthquake to ever occur in the eastern United States; it was also the most destructive earthquake in the U.S. during the 19th century.
The 1886 earthquake struck at about 9:50 pm on August 31; it was estimated to have been rated a magnitude 6.9 – 7.3 seismic event. The earthquake was felt as far away as Boston, Massachusetts to the north, Chicago, Illinois and Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to the northwest, and New Orleans, Louisiana to the south. The earthquake energy even traveled as far away as Cuba and Bermuda, where some shaking was felt too. The initial earthquake lasted about 45 seconds.
The 1886 Charleston earthquake was responsible for 60 deaths and over $190 million (in 2023 dollars) in damage. The area of major damage extended out 60-100 miles from the epicenter, with some structural damage even reported in central Alabama, Ohio, eastern Kentucky, southern Virginia, and western West Virginia from the initial quake.
A study published in 2008 in the Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering hypothesized that if such an earthquake were to strike the region today, it would lead to approximately 900 deaths, 44,000 injuries, and damages in excess of $20 billion in South Carolina alone.
There was one other earthquake in the Charleston metro area in the last 30 days. According to USGS, an even weaker magnitude 1.0 event struck near Centerville on November 20. USGS scientists will continue to monitor all of South Carolina for any ongoing seismic activity.
