History of major North Carolina earthquakes :: WRAL.com

Written by Heather Lea, multi-platform producer, WRAL

SPARTA, North Carolina – North Carolina was rocked Sunday morning by the strongest earthquake our state has seen in more than 100 years. The 5.1-magnitude earthquake brought back memories of the earthquake in 2011, which shook one August afternoon and shook many residents as they went about their daily activities.

Many locals remember feeling the tremors at work, or feeling the road beneath them while driving on errands. The earthquake triggered images of plastic lawn chairs falling down their sides, with the phrase “Never forget” written underneath.

Damage earthquakes are very rare in North Carolina; However, the country has faced a handful of powerful and unforgettable earthquakes that history has largely forgotten. However, this graphic from NC.gov gives a closer look at a variety of smaller and larger earthquakes that North Carolina has been feeling.

Dating back to 1735, there have been 22 earthquakes that caused damage in North Carolina, according to the North Carolina Earthquake History, provided by Dr. Kenneth B. Taylor. He wrote that the most damaging earthquakes occurred in 1861, 1886, 1916 and 1926.

With memories of the 2011 earthquake rekindled by seismic activity today, many people wonder: How many other earthquakes have North Carolina experienced, and how bad are they?

Memories of the 2011 earthquake

It was a regular Tuesday afternoon in August 2011 when a 5.8-magnitude earthquake in Virginia shook homes and businesses across the triangle.

The US Geological Survey said the 1:51 p.m. quake was 3.7 miles underground and had its epicenter near Mineral, Virginia, a rural area 40 miles northwest of Richmond. It was felt as far north as New York City and as far west as Ohio.

“This is the largest earthquake that Virginia has ever experienced since the Columbus era,” said Dr. Ken Taylor, a North Carolina geologist.

Portions of the Pentagon, the White House, the Capitol, and monuments at the National Mall in Washington, D.C. have been evacuated. The quake also caused panic on the New York Stock Exchange, as the Dow Jones average index fell for a brief period before rising to its biggest gain in two weeks.

North Carolina Department of Emergency Management officials said there were no immediate reports of damage. However, Washington, DC has some reports of damage and even casualties.

Residents of the Triangle described the event, and remembered that they were carrying out normal daily tasks when the tremors occurred.

Jesse Nelson was eating outside at the grill when she said, “Everything was moving here. We didn’t know what to do. We sat there.”

Cathy McCune said she initially thought the crews were working in her Fayetteville office building when she felt it swaying.

“I saw walls moving back and forth, and I thought for a split second, ‘Could it be an earthquake?’ “I didn’t think so,” McCune said. “I was completely surprised.”

Savannah Bryant said she thought a freight train was passing near her home in Clayton, but she couldn’t see any.

Aside from the horror of many locals, the earthquake caused little, if any, damage – but was remembered as a historical event just because of the rarity of the occasion.

Henderson County earthquake of 1981

Although this earthquake was only a magnitude of 3.5, it was the most recent earthquake in North Carolina that was described as “devastating,” according to Taylor.

While the other 2011 earthquake was much larger, it was also centered in Virginia, not North Carolina, which may explain why it caused less damage.

Henderson County was hit by a series of small earthquakes measuring 2.1 to 2.3 magnitude last May, 2020 – meaning that it was experiencing active tremors before today’s earthquake in Sparta.

1916 Skyland earthquake – the largest earthquake centered in North Carolina

According to the National Weather Service, today’s earthquake is the strongest earthquake to hit North Carolina since the 1916 Skyland earthquake that was epicenter in Bunkomb County. Officials gave different measurements of the strength of the earthquake, with the NWS GSP indicating it was 5.2 magnitude, but Dr. Taylor citing it as 5.5.

An earthquake in 1916 threw chimneys to the ground and window panes cracked. People are rushing to the streets, according to the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality. People felt this earthquake in Tennessee, Georgia, Virginia, South Carolina and even parts of Kentucky and West Virginia.

According to Dr. Taylor, this was the largest earthquake with its epicenter in North Carolina.

Charleston, South Carolina 1886 earthquake – the most dangerous earthquake to hit North Carolina in recent history

According to Dr. Taylor, the earthquake that struck Charleston, South Carolina on August 31, 1886, was estimated to have a colossal force of 7.3.

According to historians, “I felt it all over the country [North Carolina]Many chimneys were brought down and walls cracked, but they did not cause any deaths or injuries “in our state.

However, about 60 people were killed in the central area of ​​Charleston, according to a report on earthquake history in North Carolina by the US Geological Survey.

The report states that “a number of places in North Carolina have been exposed to chimneys that have thrown and fallen plaster and cracked walls. These places included Abbotsburg, Charlotte, Elizabethtown, Henderson, Hillsborough, Raleigh, Waynesville, and Whitville.”

Mount bald rumbling – earthquakes rocked for several months in a row in 1874

Many people might be surprised to learn that the beautiful Rumbling Bald Mountain Resort wasn’t always known by that name.

On the evening of February 9, 1874, a local preacher prayed in such a revival for God to move the hearts of sinners by “making the mountain shake and tremble under their feet.” The next day, the Old Bold began to beat. For the locals, the quake-like sounds and trembling created time Out of horror, “says Rumbling Bald Mountain.

The United States Geological Survey described these earthquakes as “a series of explosive shocks … there were at least 75 earthquakes between February 10 and April 17.”

According to the tale, many believed that the end of the world was so high that even local farmers let their livestock run into the woods, convinced that there would be no one around to take care of them.

According to the website, “the rumbling continued intermittently for six months, then the mountain fell silent again, and with the exception of an occasional rumble, it has remained since then.”

The Great New Madrid Earthquakes, 1811-1812

These earthquakes, dubbed “large earthquakes,” were centered around New Madrid, Missouri. However, it was strong enough to be felt in North Carolina.

According to the USGS, “effects of VI intensity have been observed in the western part of the state.”

More information about earthquakes in North Carolina

For viewers wanting to learn more about earthquakes in North Carolina, including how often they strike, how much damage they cause and how they form in our state, the North Carolina Environmental Quality site has good information. Dr. Kenneth Taylor’s presentation on the history of earthquakes in North Carolina also delves into details about historical earthquakes.

The USGS website provides an in-depth look at the history of major North Carolina earthquakes as well.

More on this.

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