Earthquake reported near Columbia. Here’s how it compares to other SC quakes in 2021
Did you feel that?
An earthquake was confirmed in the Columbia area Monday afternoon, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
A 3.3-magnitude earthquake hit near Elgin at 2:18 p.m., according to the South Carolina Emergency Management Division. It was originally estimated to be a 2.7-magnitude quake, but was revised by the USGS. Monday’s quake matches another one in the Lowcountry on Sept. 27 as the strongest in South Carolina this year.
The seismic activity that happened near the surface, at a depth of 0.5 kilometers, is the 24th earthquake in South Carolina in 2021 to be confirmed by the USGS.
So far, no damage or injuries have been reported from Monday’s earthquake, according to the Kershaw County Sheriff’s Office.
“Yes. We heard the loud noise,” the sheriff’s office said in a Facebook post. “Please stand by and don’t call 911 unless you have an emergency.”
Earthquakes that register 2.5 magnitude or less often go unnoticed and are only recorded 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.
Anyone who felt the quake can report it to the USGS. As of 3 p.m., more than 872 people said they felt the earthquake, according to the USGS.
The earthquake caused a stir on social media where people have been asking “Did anyone (else’s) entire house vibrate,” and “what just happened?” while others have reported pictures falling off walls.
It’s the 14th earthquake recorded since Sept. 27 in the Palmetto State, according to S.C. Department of Natural Resources.
Just a week ago, another earthquake was confirmed in South Carolina. A 1.1-magnitude quake was recorded in the Lowcountry, near Charleston County, last Monday, according to the USGS.
Prior to Dec. 20, the most recent earthquake was recorded on Nov. 16, when a 2.2 magnitude quake was confirmed near Easley.
Just one week earlier, a 1.5 magnitude earthquake was reported on Nov. 9 in the Lowcountry. Six of the previous quakes were reported by S.C. Department of Natural Resources in the Jenkinsville area in Fairfield County, from Oct. 25 through Nov. 1.
The Sept. 27 quake in the Lowcountry was the third of three earthquakes recorded in that area that day.
It is typical for South Carolina to have between six and 10 earthquakes a year, the S.C. Geological Survey reported. There were at least 11 earthquakes reported by the USGS in South Carolina in 2020.
On Oct. 17, another earthquake was confirmed just over the state line in the Lincolnton area of Georgia, along the Savannah River.
One of the most powerful earthquakes ever recorded in South Carolina happened in Charleston on Aug. 31, 1886. The estimated 7.3 magnitude 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 Emergency Management Division.
Reported earthquakes in SC in 2021
Date/Location | Magnitude | Depth (km) |
Jan. 18/Dalzell | 2.1 | 6.9 |
Feb. 13/Summerville | 2.1 | 5.1 |
May 12/Heath Springs | 1.8 | 9.99 |
May 31/Summit | 2.6 | 1.7 |
May 31/Summit | 2.0 | 5.1 |
July 16/Ladson | 2.0 | 4.0 |
July 22/Ladson | 1.3 | 3.5 |
July 22/Ladson | 1.95 | 3.97 |
Aug. 21/Centerville | 1.75 | 1.97 |
Aug. 21/Centerville | 1.71 | 3.37 |
Sept. 27/Summerville | 2.8 | 6.0 |
Sept. 27/Summerville | 2.0 | 5.8 |
Sept. 27/Centerville | 3.3 | 6.8 |
| Oct. 25/Jenkinsville | 2.2 | 3.8 |
| Oct. 26/Jenkinsville | 1.8 | 0.0 |
| Oct. 28/Jenkinsville | 1.8 | 1.8 |
| Oct. 28/Jenkinsville | 1.7 | 0.0 |
| Oct. 28/Jenkinsville | 2.1 | 4.2 |
| Oct. 31/Jenkinsville | 2.3 | 0.1 |
| Nov. 1/Jenkinsville | 2.0 | 5.1 |
| Nov. 9/Centerville | 1.5 | 3.8 |
| Nov. 16/Arial | 2.2 | 5.4 |
| Dec. 20/Ladson | 1.1 | 2.8 |
| Dec. 27/Elgin | 2.51 | 0.5 |
BEHIND THE STORY
MOREThis is a breaking news story
In a breaking news situation, facts can be unclear and the situation may still be developing. The State is trying to get important information to the public as quickly and accurately as possible. This story will be updated as more information becomes available, and some information in this story may change as the facts become clearer. Refresh this page later for more updated information.
This story was originally published December 27, 2021 at 2:45 PM.
CORRECTION: A Sept. 27 earthquake that registered 3.3 on the Richter scale occurred in the South Carolina Lowcountry. An earlier version of this story reported an incorrect location.
