First earthquake of month rumbles under part of SC that’s felt lots of tremors

Seismic activity returned to South Carolina over the weekend, as an earthquake was recorded in an area that’s recently experienced lots of tremors.

The Palmetto State’s first earthquake of September was a 1.7 magnitude quake at 8:28 p.m. Saturday, according to the South Carolina Emergency Management Division. The earthquake was near Ware Shoals, which is in the Greenwood County area where 16 quakes were confirmed in a 10-day span in August, South Carolina Department of Natural Resources Geological Survey data shows.

Saturday night’s earthquake was recorded near the surface of the ground, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

Prior to this weekend’s seismic activity, the most recent tremors in South Carolina was a 2.0 magnitude earthquake that hit the Greenwood County area Aug. 27, USGS data shows. There were two earthquakes in North Carolina earlier last week, with one just north of the state line with South Carolina in the Rosman area, according to the USGS.

There have now been 29 confirmed earthquakes in South Carolina in 2025.

There were 30 confirmed earthquakes last year in South Carolina, after 28 quakes were recorded in 2023, according to the state Department of Natural Resources.

History of earthquakes in SC

It had been uncommon for earthquakes to hit outside of the Midlands area of the Palmetto State, specifically beyond Kershaw County, where 71 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 Saturday night’s earthquake can report it to the USGS.

The most recent earthquakes mean at least 161 have been detected in the Palmetto State since the start of 2022, according to South Carolina DNR. All but 50 of the quakes have been in the Midlands.

In all, 117 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 the majority of the recent earthquakes were classified as a micro quakes, according to the Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale.

No major damage or injuries have been reported from the recent seismic activity or any of the other 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 175 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 2025

This story was originally published September 15, 2025 at 7:48 AM with the headline "First earthquake of month rumbles under part of SC that’s felt lots of tremors."

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