Small Earthquakes Reported in North Carolina and Tennessee

The earthquake in North Carolina was centered near Lowgap, a small town in Surry County. The US Geological Survey (USGS) recorded the earthquake with a magnitude of 1.6. According to the USGS, earthquakes with a magnitude of 2.0 or less are rarely felt or heard by people.

Similarly, the earthquake in eastern Tennessee, near Greenback, was relatively weak, measuring a magnitude of 1.7. Such low-magnitude earthquakes are common and pose little threat to life and property. The eastern part of Tennessee is more prone to see 50-100 damaging earthquakes over 10,000 years.

Earthquakes are not common in North Carolina, but they do occur, with most being small and not causing damage. The most common and strongest earthquakes to strike the state have been in the western part along the Appalachian Mountains. Most quakes in North Carolina originate from the East Tennessee seismic zone to the west, the Charleston, South Carolina seismic zone to the south, or the Central Virginia seismic zone to the north.

No, there were no reports of damage or injuries from either earthquake.

While not as frequent as in areas like California, minor earthquakes do occur in these states, often linked to old fault lines.

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