Earthquake rattles North Carolina mountains, with hundreds feeling it, geologists say

Hundreds of people in both North and South Carolina were rattled by an earthquake late Wednesday in the NC mountains, 100 miles west of Charlotte, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

The ripple effect was felt at least 271 miles away, in the southeastern part of the state, officials say.

It happened at 10:23 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 7, and registered as a 2.7 magnitude, which is considered mild. No damage was reported.

The quake was centered just south of the Henderson County community of Laurel Park, which has a population of about 2,533.

More than 800 people reported feeling “weak” shaking in the region. This includes one report 100 miles west, near the Tennessee state line, and another 271 miles east, in Lenoir County, officials said.

Shaking was also reported in South Carolina as far Anderson, 57 miles miles to the south.

The magnitude is ranked just above the threshold required for people to feel it, experts report. Earthquakes of 2.5 or less are typically noticed only by seismographs. Those at the 2.5 to 5.4 range are “often felt but only causes minor damage,” according to Michigan Tech.

North Carolina’s largest quake in the past century was a 5.1 that rattled the town of Sparta in August 2020. It was felt in multiple states and caused extensive damage to buildings in the area.

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