Earthquakes recorded on back-to-back days in SC as rumbling returns to Columbia area

Earthquakes hit the Columbia area of South Carolina on back-to-back days over the weekend.

A 2.5 magnitude earthquake was recorded Sunday night in Kershaw County about 1.5 miles beneath the surface, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. It was the second confirmed earthquake in the Midlands region of South Carolina’s in as many days.

A 2.1 magnitude earthquake hit the same area Saturday afternoon, the USGS reported.

Sunday’s earthquake was confirmed at 6:01 p.m. near Elgin, the South Carolina Emergency Management Division said. Saturday’s earthquake was also in the Elgin area, and was recorded at 2:46 p.m., the USGS said.

Saturday’s earthquake happened about 2 miles beneath the surface, according to the USGS.

These were the 13^th and 14^th confirmed earthquakes this year in South Carolina, after 28 quakes were recorded in 2023, according to the state Department of Natural Resources.

The last time seismic activity was recorded in South Carolina was on Sept. 1, when tremors were recorded as a 2.1 magnitude earthquake in McCormick County, state Department of Natural Resources data shows.

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 Sunday night’s earthquake can report it to the USGS. As of 7:15 p.m., nearly 200 people had reported experiencing Sunday’s quake, while less than 30 were aware of Saturday’s tremors.

The most recent earthquake means at least 118 have been detected in the Palmetto State since the start of 2022, according to South Carolina DNR. All but 13 of the quakes have been in the Midlands.

In all, 110 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 Sunday night’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 132 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.

Why the increase in earthquakes?

An explanation for the outburst has eluded scientists.

Some experts have theorized there’s a link between the Wateree River and the earthquakes northeast of Columbia. They said the combination of a single moderate earthquake in December 2022 and high water levels in the Wateree River during parts of 2022 and 2023 have contributed to the earthquakes.

But no one has settled on the single cause for the Midlands’ shaking.

Elgin, about 20 miles northeast of Columbia and situated on a fault line, experienced an unusual earthquake “swarm,” leaving some residents feeling uneasy.

The series of quakes might be the longest period of earthquake activity in the state’s history, officials said. But they don’t believe the spate of minor earthquakes is an indicator that a bigger quake could be on the way.

“Though the frequency of these minor earthquakes may alarm some, we do not expect a significantly damaging earthquake in South Carolina at this time, even though we know our state had them decades ago,” South Carolina EMD Director Kim Stenson previously said in a news release.

“Now is the time to review your insurance policies for earthquake coverage, secure any items in your home that may become hazards during a tremor and remember to drop, cover and hold on until the shaking passes. These are the precautions South Carolinians can take to properly prepare for earthquakes.”

The strongest earthquake ever recorded in South Carolina — and on the East Coast of the United States — was a devastating 7.3 in Charleston in 1886.

That 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 state EMD.

Reported earthquakes in SC in 2021-24

This story was originally published September 15, 2024 at 7:20 PM.

Noah Feit

The State

803-771-8435

Noah Feit is a Real Time reporter with The State focused on breaking news, public safety and trending news. The award-winning journalist has worked for multiple newspapers since starting his career in 1999. Support my work with a digital subscription