Earthquake hits South Carolina as Hurricane Helene continues to churn its way north

As South Carolina prepares for the effects of Hurricane Helene later in the week, the Palmetto State was impacted by another environmental event, as an earthquake was recorded late Tuesday night near the state line with North Carolina.

A 1.7 magnitude earthquake was confirmed late Tuesday night in the York County area, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. This is the second consecutive earthquake recorded in South Carolina that hit close to the border with North Carolina.

Tuesday’s earthquake was confirmed at 11:52 p.m. in the area between Catawba, South Carolina, and Jaars, North Carolina, the South Carolina Emergency Management Division said. It happened about 4.5 miles beneath the surface, the USGS said.

This was the 16^th confirmed earthquake this year in South Carolina, after 28 quakes were recorded in 2023, according to the state Department of Natural Resources.

It happened a little more than a week after three earthquakes were recorded in as many days in South Carolina.

A 2.1 magnitude earthquake hit Sept. 14 and was followed by a 2.5 quake on the following evening, the USGS reported. Both of those earthquakes were recorded in the Elgin area of Kershaw County, according to the USGS.

On Sept. 16, a 2.2 magnitude earthquake was recorded by the USGS in Chesterfield County.

Two earthquakes were confirmed in the Sparta, North Carolina area on Aug. 28, according to the South Carolina DNR.

History of earthquakes in SC

It has been uncommon for earthquakes to hit outside of the Midlands area of the Palmetto State, specifically beyond Kershaw County, where 64 earthquakes have been confirmed since the end of June 2022, according to the South Carolina DNR.

That’s also where South Carolina’s most powerful recent earthquakes were recorded on June 29, 2022.

On that day, two earthquakes — one a 3.5 magnitude and the other 3.6 — were included in a flurry of tremors and aftershocks. Those were the two largest quakes to hit South Carolina in nearly a decade. A 4.1-magnitude quake struck McCormick County in 2014.

Anyone who felt tremors and shaking or heard rumbling from Tuesday night’s earthquake can report it to the USGS.

The most recent earthquake means at least 120 have been detected in the Palmetto State since the start of 2022, according to South Carolina DNR. All but 15 of the quakes have been in the Midlands.

In all, 111 earthquakes have hit the Columbia area since a 3.3-magnitude quake was recorded Dec. 27, 2021, according to the DNR.

The S.C. Emergency Management Division said Tuesday night’s earthquake was classified as a micro quake, according to the Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale.

No major damage or injuries have been reported from any of the recent quakes.

Earthquakes that register 2.5 magnitude or less often go unnoticed and are usually recorded only by a seismograph, according to Michigan Technological University. Any quake less than 5.5 magnitude is not likely to cause significant damage, the school said.

It had been typical for South Carolina to have between six and 10 earthquakes a year, the S.C. Geological Survey previously reported. There have been 134 earthquakes in South Carolina since Jan. 18, 2021, according to DNR.

During a 2022 town hall to address the earthquakes, state geologist Scott Howard said as many as 200 smaller tremors might have gone unnoticed and unrecorded.

Why the increase in earthquakes?

An explanation for the outburst has eluded scientists.

Some experts have theorized there’s a link between the Wateree River and the earthquakes northeast of Columbia. They said the combination of a single moderate earthquake in December 2022 and high water levels in the Wateree River during parts of 2022 and 2023 have contributed to the earthquakes.

But no one has settled on the single cause for the Midlands’ shaking.

Elgin, about 20 miles northeast of Columbia and situated on a fault line, experienced an unusual earthquake “swarm,” leaving some residents feeling uneasy.

The series of quakes might be the longest period of earthquake activity in the state’s history, officials said. But they don’t believe the spate of minor earthquakes is an indicator that a bigger quake could be on the way.

“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.

“Now is the time to review your insurance policies for earthquake coverage, secure any items in your home that may become hazards during a tremor and remember to drop, cover and hold on until the shaking passes. These are the precautions South Carolinians can take to properly prepare for earthquakes.”

The strongest earthquake ever recorded in South Carolina — and on the East Coast of the United States — was a devastating 7.3 in Charleston in 1886.

That quake killed 60 people and was felt over 2.5 million square miles, from Cuba to New York and Bermuda to the Mississippi River, according to the state EMD.

Reported earthquakes in SC in 2021-24

This story was originally published September 25, 2024 at 2:16 PM with the headline "Earthquake hits South Carolina as Hurricane Helene continues to churn its way north."

Noah Feit

The State

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Noah Feit is a Real Time reporter with The State focused on breaking news, public safety and trending news. The award-winning journalist has worked for multiple newspapers since starting his career in 1999. Support my work with a digital subscription