Ninth earthquake to hit Columbia area in as many days among the most powerful so far
The aftershocks continue to keep coming in the Midlands as another earthquake was confirmed Wednesday morning.
A 2.6 magnitude earthquake was recorded near Lugoff at 1:45 a.m., according to the South Carolina Emergency Management Division. It is the ninth earthquake to hit the Columbia area in little more than a week.
The quake hit close to the surface at a depth of 0.5 kilometers, or about a third of a mile, U.S. Geological Survey data shows.
The latest earthquake was the most powerful of all the seismic activity confirmed in Kershaw County in the past week, other than the first quake on Dec. 27 that registered 3.3 on the Richter scale.
Wednesday’s quake is among the five most powerful of the 32 earthquakes confirmed in the Palmetto State since Jan. 18, 2021, according to the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources.
Anyone who felt the earthquake can report it to the USGS, and more than 250 people had by 6:45 a.m.
No major damage or injuries have been reported from any of the nine recent quakes.
Earthquakes that register 2.5 magnitude or less often go unnoticed and are usually 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.
It is typical for South Carolina to have between six and 10 earthquakes a year, the S.C. Geological Survey previously reported. There were at least 11 earthquakes recorded by the USGS in South Carolina in 2020.
Following Wednesday’s activity, 22 earthquakes have been recorded since Sept. 27 in the Palmetto State, according to the S.C. Department of Natural Resources.
Of the the earthquakes confirmed in South Carolina since the start of 2021, 20 occurred in the Midlands, S.C. Department of Natural Resources data shows.
Reported earthquakes in SC in 2021-22
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/Lugoff | 3.3 | 3.2 |
| Dec. 27/Lugoff | 2.5 | 2.4 |
| Dec. 27/Elgin | 2.1 | 0.7 |
| Dec. 27/Elgin | 1.7 | 4.9 |
| Dec. 29/Elgin | 2.3 | 1.6 |
| Dec. 30/Elgin | 2.5 | 2.5 |
| Dec. 30/Elgin | 2.4 | 3.8 |
| Jan. 3/Lugoff | 2.5 | 2.7 |
| Jan. 5/Lugoff | 2.6 | 0.5 |
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This story was originally published January 5, 2022 at 6:56 AM.
