According to USGS, three earthquakes rattled portions of the southeast last night and this morning, with earthquakes striking first in Louisville, Tennessee, then Elgin, South Carolina, and finally Benton, Tennessee. All three earthquakes were weak and created no damage nor injuries although USGS did receive reports of shaking from residents via their “Did you feel it?” online earthquake reporting tool.
The first earthquake struck at 8:17 pm last night just outside of Louisville, Tennessee, striking from a depth of 15.1 km. This magnitude 1.5 earthquake struck in an area of ongoing weak seismicity near the Appalachian Mountains.
The second earthquake struck at 3:47 am near Elgin, South Carolina. This magnitude 2.0 event struck from a depth of 3.1 km and is at the site of an ongoing earthquake swarm that has been puzzling seismologists for the last few years.
On Monday, December 27, 2021 at 2:18 pm in the afternoon, an unusual earthquake struck in this same general area and the quakes have continued on and off since, with dozens reported in 2022, 2023, and 2024 . That first 3.3 magnitude earthquake hit 30 miles north of Columbia, South Carolina at a depth of only 3.1 km. More than 3,100 residents reported to USGS they felt it at the time, with one report of shaking coming from as far away as Rock Hill, which is at the North/South Carolina state border. While many felt the earthquake, there was no reported damage in the Palmetto State. That earthquake was followed by 10 more ranging in intensity between a magnitude 1.5 to a magnitude 2.6 event. The second earthquake struck three hours twenty minutes after the first one. The last earthquake in that series struck on the morning of January 5, bringing a temporary end to the earthquakes there. But the swarm returned many times throughout 2022, rattling locals and unnerving local officials that weren’t sure of their source or cause.
In the last 365 days, there have been 35 earthquakes in South Carolina, with many located near this morning’s quake. The most intense quake over the last year in South Carolina was a magnitude 2.7 event which struck near Elgin on March 9. Scientists are still not positive on what’s behind this quake activity.
The third earthquake of the southeast series struck at 4:40 am near Benton, Tennessee. This quake, which struck from a depth of 16.9 km, had a magnitude of 1.9. This quake struck in the same general area of seismic activity as the first.
