Another earthquake shakes Elgin SC on Thanksgiving

After nearly a month of quiet, another earthquake shook the Elgin area around 11:20 a.m. on Thanksgiving, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

The 2.02 magnitude quake was reported 5 miles south east of Elgin Thursday morning — about 20 miles east of Columbia.

This is the first quake in the Midlands since a 2.5 magnitude quake was confirmed near Elgin the night before Halloween.

There have been more than 40 confirmed earthquakes in Kershaw County since the end of June, according to the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources.

It is typical for South Carolina to have between six and 10 earthquakes a year, the S.C. Geological Survey previously reported. There have been more than 100 earthquakes in South Carolina since Jan. 18, 2021.

Elgin is located on a fault line and has experienced dozens of quakes in the past year. The series of recent quakes may be the longest in state history, geologists have previously said.

This story was originally published November 25, 2022 at 10:05 AM.

Morgan Hughes

The State

(803) 771-8330

Morgan Hughes covers Columbia news for The State. She previously reported on health, education and local governments in Wyoming. She has won awards in Wyoming and Wisconsin for feature writing and investigative journalism. Her work has also been recognized by the South Carolina Press Association.