COLUMBIA — Felt shaking? You’re not alone. The United States Geological Survey has confirmed there was a small earthquake about 2.9 miles from Elgin the morning of Jan. 20.

The earthquake was recorded at a 2.2 magnitude, which is well below what USGS considers a moderate earthquake at 5.3 or a strong earthquake at 6.3.

While magnitude records the size of the earthquake, USGS also measures the intensity of an earthquake by looking at the amount of shaking at each location.

With over 500 submissions from people in the area, the USGS currently has the intensity listed at IV, which indicates that the earthquake caused light shaking but no damage.

USGS encourages those who felt the shaking to fill out the “Did you feel it?” form to make the organization’s data as accurate as possible.

The Elgin earthquake is the latest in the area and the highest magnitude quake for the month, with two others on Jan. 4 in Georgia and Jan. 3 in North Carolina being recorded at magnitudes under 2.

For more data from the Elgin earthquake or more information on recent earthquake activity people can the South Carolina Geological Survey’s recent earthquakes webpage.

January 20, 2026 | Post and Courier, The: Columbia Edition (SC)
Author/Byline: Sydney Dunlap sdunlap@free-times.com | Section: News