Two of the strongest earthquakes to hit SC in years part of flurry of tremors

At least 10 earthquakes have been confirmed in the same part of South Carolina in the past week, including some of the most powerful seismic activity recorded in the Palmetto State in years.

Seven of the earthquakes occurred between 12:17 a.m. and 3:19 p.m. Saturday in Greenwood County, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. They followed earthquakes that were confirmed in the same area of South Carolina, near Coronaca, on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of last week, USGS data shows.

Ready to rumble

That area was a hotbed for earthquakes late last year, according to the USGS.

In October 2024, there were nine earthquakes recorded in the Coronaca area in a six day span, South Carolina Department of Natural Resources records show.

Since that flurry, no other earthquakes were confirmed in that area — until this week.

The latest series of tremors returned to Greenwood County when a 2.2 magnitude earthquake was recorded at 11:30 p.m. Monday, and less than four hours later another earthquake, a 1.7 magnitude quake, rumbled near the same area at 3:08 a.m., the South Carolina Emergency Management Division said.

That was followed by a 2.0 magnitude earthquake in the area, closer to Ware Shoals, at 8:55 p.m. on Aug. 20, according to the USGS.

Then came Saturday’s flurry of earthquakes, which included 2.9 and 3.0 magnitude earthquakes, which were separated by 6 minutes shortly after midnight, USGS data shows.

Over the next several hours five more earthquakes, with mostly diminishing strength, were confirmed in the area that’s about 75 miles west of Columbia. Those earthquakes had magnitudes of 2.5, 1.9, 2.0, 2.4, 1.8 and 1.7, respectively, according to the USGS.

Some of the earthquakes happened just below the surface, while others were as deep as 5 miles underground, USGS data shows.

Information about why there’s such a high frequency of earthquakes in the Coronaca area — when tremors are recorded — was not available.

There have now been 23 confirmed earthquakes in South Carolina in 2025. The last earthquake in the Palmetto State, prior to this Greenwood County series, was on Aug. 9, when a 1.75 magnitude quake was the first confirmed in the Myrtle Beach area in decades, according to the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources Geological Survey.

There were 30 confirmed earthquakes last year in South Carolina, after 28 quakes were recorded in 2023, according to the state Department of Natural Resources.

History of earthquakes in SC

It had been uncommon for earthquakes to hit outside of the Midlands area of the Palmetto State, specifically beyond Kershaw County, where 69 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 the recent series of earthquakes in the past week can report it to the USGS. As of Sunday morning, more than 320 people reported feeling some of the recent earthquakes.

The most recent earthquakes mean at least 155 have been detected in the Palmetto State since the start of 2022, according to South Carolina DNR. All but 44 of the quakes have been in the Midlands.

In all, 117 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 the majority of the recent earthquakes were classified as a micro quakes, according to the Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale.

No major damage or injuries have been reported from the recent seismic activity or any of the other 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 169 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 2025

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