South Carolina’s second earthquake of the year was confirmed Friday morning.
A 2.0-magnitude earthquake hit near Elgin , according to the U.S. Geological Survey .
Friday’s earthquake was recorded around 4 a.m. near the Kershaw County town, the South Carolina Emergency Management Division said. It happened about 1.9 miles below ground, the USGS said.
The previous earthquake was reported earlier this month near Jenkinsville in Fairfield County . It happened about 1.8 miles below ground.
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 Wednesday morning’s earthquake can report it to the USGS .
The most recent earthquake means at least 135 have been detected in the Palmetto State since the start of 2022, according to South Carolina DNR. All but 29 of the quakes have been in the Midlands .
In all, 112 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 Wednesday morning’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 149 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.
January 31, 2025 | State, The: Web Edition Articles (Columbia, SC)
Author/Byline: Javon L. Harris, The State | Section: environment