950+ people reported tremors from the South Carolina earthquake today

Today's epicenter is located at the orange dot within the concentric colored circles on this map. Image: USGS

A 2.8 magnitude earthquake struck outside Elgin, South Carolina, this morning in an area that saw a mysterious swarm of earthquakes at the end of 2021 and for most of 2022 and 2023. According to the USGS, the quake struck just outside Elgin, South Carolina. It's 9:27 AM this morning. More than 950 people reported to the USGS that they felt this earthquake using the USGS “Did you feel it?” Website reporting tool. However, the earthquake was far too weak to cause any damage or casualties. Today's earthquake was the third to hit this region this year.

Dozens of earthquakes have struck seismically active South Carolina since December 2021. The mysterious swarm began on Monday, December 27 at 2:18 p.m. This first magnitude 3.3 earthquake struck 30 miles north of Columbia, South Carolina, at a depth of only 3.1 kilometers. More than 3,100 residents reported to the USGS that they felt it at the time, with one report of tremors coming from as far away as Rock Hill, which lies on the North/South Carolina border. While the quake was felt by many, no damage was reported in the Palmetto State. The earthquake was followed by 10 other tremors, ranging in intensity from 1.5 to 2.6. The second earthquake occurred three hours and twenty minutes after the first earthquake. The last earthquake in that series struck on the morning of January 5, bringing a temporary end to earthquakes there. But the swarm returned several times throughout 2022, alarming local residents and alarming local officials who were unsure of its source or cause.

According to the USGS, a swarm is a series of mostly small earthquakes with no identifiable major aftershocks. “Swarms are usually short-lived, but they can last for days, weeks, or sometimes even months,” the USGS adds. However, the Elgin area event in South Carolina does not fit the typical definition of a swarm since the first event was much larger than the rest. This last swarm doesn't fit the typical swarm pattern either.

According to the South Carolina Emergency Management Division (SCEMD), approximately 10-15 earthquakes occur each year in South Carolina, most of which are not felt by residents; On average, it is felt only 3-5 times each year. Most South Carolina earthquakes occur in the Middleton Place-Somerville seismic zone. The most significant historical earthquakes to occur in South Carolina were the 1886 Charleston-Somerville earthquake and the 1913 Union County earthquake. The 1886 Charleston earthquake was the most destructive earthquake ever to occur in the eastern United States; It was also the most destructive earthquake in the United States during the 19th century.

The 1886 earthquake destroyed these buildings on Tradd Street in Charleston, South Carolina. Image: USGS

The 1886 earthquake struck at about 9:50 pm on August 31; It is estimated to have been rated as a magnitude 6.9 – 7.3 seismic event. The earthquake was felt as far away as Boston, Massachusetts, to the north, Chicago, Illinois, and Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to the northwest, and New Orleans, Louisiana, to the south. The energy of the earthquake even traveled as far away as Cuba and Bermuda, where we felt some of the shaking as well. The initial earthquake lasted about 45 seconds.

The Charleston earthquake of 1886 was responsible for 60 deaths and more than $190 million (in 2023 dollars) in damage. The area of ​​severe damage extended to 60-100 miles from the epicenter, with some structural damage reported in central Alabama, Ohio, eastern Kentucky, southern Virginia, and western West Virginia from the initial quake.

A study published in 2008 in the Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering hypothesized that if such an earthquake struck the region today, it would cause nearly 900 deaths, 44,000 injuries, and more than $20 billion in damage in South Carolina alone.

The initial earthquake was followed by an aftershock 10 minutes later. During the first 24 hours, seven additional strong aftershocks occurred. Over the next 30 years, a total of 435 aftershocks were measured.

According to the USGS, since at least 1776, people living inland in North and South Carolina, and in adjacent parts of Georgia and Tennessee, have felt small earthquakes and suffered damage from larger, infrequent tremors. The largest earthquake in this inland region was a magnitude 5.1 event that occurred in 1916. Moderately damaging earthquakes strike the inland Carolinas every few decades, and smaller quakes are felt once every year or two.

Although earthquakes that occur in the central and eastern United States are less frequent than those that occur in the western United States, they are usually felt over a much wider area. East of the Rocky Mountains, the quake could be felt over an area 10 times larger than a similar quake on the West Coast. An eastern U.S. magnitude 4.0 earthquake can usually be felt in many places within 60 miles of where it strikes, and rarely causes damage near its source. A 5.5-magnitude earthquake in the eastern United States can usually be felt up to 300 miles from where it occurs, and sometimes causes damage up to 25 miles away.

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