Fourteenth earthquake in three weeks strikes the Midlands

Seismologist confirmed another minor earthquake hit the Midlands Saturday morning.

The earthquake occurred at about 6:30 a.m. near Elgin, S.C., a town about 20 miles northeast of Columbia, according to the United States Geological Survey. It registered 1.8 magnitude, which is considered weak.

The quake is the 14th to strike the Elgin area since Dec. 27.

The seismic activity has been getting weaker. The first earthquake registered 3.3 magnitude, which is considered minor. Over the next week, the magnitude of the quakes was around 2.5. The latest quakes have typically been below 2 magnitude, which might not even be felt.

When the earthquakes first started happening, people reporting hearing loud booms and feeling their homes shake.

Another minor earthquake occurred on Jan. 9 outside of Charleston.

Seismologist say that earthquakes can happen in clusters.

David Travis Bland

The State

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David Travis Bland is The State’s editorial editor. In his prior position as a reporter, he was named the 2020 South Carolina Journalist of the Year by the SC Press Association. He graduated from the University of South Carolina in 2010. Support my work with a digital subscription