Rumbling returns to the Midlands as another earthquake hits near the Columbia area
An earthquake was confirmed near South Carolina’s state capital Saturday morning.
The U.S. Geological Survey recorded a 2.8 magnitude earthquake nearly 3 miles beneath the Earth’s surface just before 9:30 a.m. near Elgin in Kershaw County.
No damage or injuries have been reported.
It is the third earthquake to hit the Palmetto State this year, all of which have been in the Columbia area.
About 14 hours later, a second earthquake of the day was also confirmed in the Elgin area of Kershaw County. At 11:40 p.m., a 1.3 magnitude earthquake was recorded about a mile beneath the surface, according to the USGS.
In 2023, 28 earthquakes were recorded in South Carolina, according to the state Department of Natural Resources. Nearly 90 earthquakes have been detected in South Carolina since 2022, according to the DNR. Most have been in the Midlands, which lies near a fault line.
South Carolina previously averaged about six to 10 annually, according to the S.C. Geological Survey.
“Though the frequency of these minor earthquakes may alarm some, we do not expect a significantly damaging earthquake in South Carolina at this time, even though we know our state had them decades ago,” South Carolina EMD Director Kim Stenson previously said in a news release.
Anyone who felt tremors or shaking from Monday’s earthquake can report it to the USGS.
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This story was originally published March 9, 2024 at 10:53 AM with the headline "Rumbling returns to the Midlands as another earthquake hits near the Columbia area."
