An initial earthquake measuring 3.3 on the Richter scale hit South Carolina

A relatively rare East Coast earthquake, centered northeast of the South Carolina capital, woke large numbers of the state’s residents

Written by MEG KINNARD Associated Press

May 9, 2022, 9:16 am

• 3 minutes to read

Share on Facebook Email this article

COLOMBIA, South Carolina – A relatively rare east coast earthquake centered northeast of the South Carolina capital woke large numbers of state residents early Monday morning, authorities said, shaking the southern state with an initial magnitude of 3.3 on the Richter scale. .

There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.

The pre-dawn quake lasted only seconds, but a number of people took to social media to describe their shaking from sleep when the quake struck shortly after 1:30. She described it as the latest in a series of tremors in recent months, but it is stronger than usual.

“There has definitely been a ‘swarm’ here for the past several months. It’s not like a swarm after a major seismic event but we’ve had a number of them in recent months,” geophysicist Amy Vaughan of the 24-hour monitoring service told The Associated Press by phone.

The quake’s magnitude of 3.3 is an early assessment and could change, Vaughan said, adding that the quake occurred 1.9 miles (3.1 km) underground near the community of Elgin. The epicenter was about 21 miles (3 kilometers) northeast of downtown Columbia, the capital.

Those who woke up reported feeling the ground shaking for several seconds and some even described what looked like a heavy truck moving nearby. Just an hour later, Vaughan said she had received reports pouring into the earthquake monitoring center.

She said, “I haven’t heard any reports of damage yet but I’ve had over a thousand reports. If people were sleeping, they would obviously be woken up and things might have shook on shelves or worktops but not the kind or intensity of the shaking to cause damage whatever it was.” .

However, she called it “definitely worrisome” and said some lesser aftershocks were possible in the coming days or weeks. She noted earthquakes of 2.0 or higher in April and March and others going back just over four months in the area — and last December’s 3.3 earthquake.

The quake was fairly shallow, and fairly close to the surface, which made it palpable, she said, adding that the area had experienced other shocks recently.

Twenty-four small earthquakes have rocked near Columbia since the end of last year, more than the 20 averaged earthquakes in the state in an entire year, according to the South Carolina Department of Emergency Management. Elgin is located along a large fault system that extends from Georgia through the Carolinas to Virginia.

Last year, the area near Jenkinsville—about 40 miles (60 kilometers) west of this cluster of tremors—recorded six small earthquakes in more than a week, with three recorded in just one day.

According to emergency management officials, about 70% of South Carolina earthquakes are located in the Middleton Place-Summerville seismic zone, about 12.4 miles (20 kilometers) northwest of Charleston.

In 1886, that historic port city was home to the largest recorded earthquake in the history of the southeastern United States, according to seismologists. The earthquake, believed to have had a magnitude of at least 7, left dozens dead and destroyed hundreds of buildings.

This event was preceded by a series of small tremors over several days, although it was not known that the previous tremors had necessarily led to something more catastrophic until after the Great Quake.

———

Meg Kinnard can be reached at http://twitter.com/MegKinnardAP.

What Are The Main Benefits Of Comparing Car Insurance Quotes Online

LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / June 24, 2020, / Compare-autoinsurance.Org has launched a new blog post that presents the main benefits of comparing multiple car insurance quotes. For more info and free online quotes, please visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/the-advantages-of-comparing-prices-with-car-insurance-quotes-online/ The modern society has numerous technological advantages. One important advantage is the speed at which information is sent and received. With the help of the internet, the shopping habits of many persons have drastically changed. The car insurance industry hasn't remained untouched by these changes. On the internet, drivers can compare insurance prices and find out which sellers have the best offers. View photos The advantages of comparing online car insurance quotes are the following: Online quotes can be obtained from anywhere and at any time. Unlike physical insurance agencies, websites don't have a specific schedule and they are available at any time. Drivers that have busy working schedules, can compare quotes from anywhere and at any time, even at midnight. Multiple choices. Almost all insurance providers, no matter if they are well-known brands or just local insurers, have an online presence. Online quotes will allow policyholders the chance to discover multiple insurance companies and check their prices. Drivers are no longer required to get quotes from just a few known insurance companies. Also, local and regional insurers can provide lower insurance rates for the same services. Accurate insurance estimates. Online quotes can only be accurate if the customers provide accurate and real info about their car models and driving history. Lying about past driving incidents can make the price estimates to be lower, but when dealing with an insurance company lying to them is useless. Usually, insurance companies will do research about a potential customer before granting him coverage. Online quotes can be sorted easily. Although drivers are recommended to not choose a policy just based on its price, drivers can easily sort quotes by insurance price. Using brokerage websites will allow drivers to get quotes from multiple insurers, thus making the comparison faster and easier. For additional info, money-saving tips, and free car insurance quotes, visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ Compare-autoinsurance.Org is an online provider of life, home, health, and auto insurance quotes. This website is unique because it does not simply stick to one kind of insurance provider, but brings the clients the best deals from many different online insurance carriers. In this way, clients have access to offers from multiple carriers all in one place: this website. On this site, customers have access to quotes for insurance plans from various agencies, such as local or nationwide agencies, brand names insurance companies, etc. "Online quotes can easily help drivers obtain better car insurance deals. All they have to do is to complete an online form with accurate and real info, then compare prices", said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company. CONTACT: Company Name: Internet Marketing CompanyPerson for contact Name: Gurgu CPhone Number: (818) 359-3898Email: [email protected]: https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ SOURCE: Compare-autoinsurance.Org View source version on accesswire.Com:https://www.Accesswire.Com/595055/What-Are-The-Main-Benefits-Of-Comparing-Car-Insurance-Quotes-Online View photos