Friday Earthquake

2 earthquakes felt across S.C. and Georgia 3.2-magnitude quake hits Sunday afternoon

 Video about Earthquake

4.1 Magnitude earthquake shakes South Carolina Friday Evening. The United States Geological Survey said the quake Friday hit 7 miles northwest of Edgefield, S.C. at 10:23 p.m. and was felt as far away as Shelby and Hendersonville, N.C. Amber Lollis lives on Boulder Road with her husband. She said she was in her bed when the shaking surprised her. “It felt like the whole house was jelly. It felt like it was moving left to right,” Lollis told WYFF. “I felt like I was on a flying carpet on the bed.” The USGS first reported the earthquake as a 4.4-magnitude quake. Lollis said she is familiar with earthquakes because they happened multiple times while she lived in northern Greenville County. She said Friday night’s was much stronger than anything she had experienced before. “Most of the time, they were around a 2.4 magnitude,” Lollis said. “I didn’t know what the richter was, but I could tell it was more than 2.4.” Lollis said her husband, who was on the other, lower end of the house, could not feel the shaking the same way she could. She said the earthquake left cracks in the bricks outside her home and above a bathroom entrance. Lollis said she also noticed separations in her kitchen cabinets that did not exist prior to the earthquake. “I thought we were goners,” Lollis said. The South Carolina Emergency Management Division (SCEMD) said there have been no reports of injuries or significant damage. There have been no requests for state assistance. SCEMD said it is working closely with state agencies, county emergency managers in all 46 counties to determine the earthquake’s effects on the state. The WYFF News 4 newsroom got hundreds of calls of people feeling the earthquake across the Carolinas and Georgia. Callers reported they felt their homes shake for between 5 and 15 seconds, depending on the location. Greenwood emergency officials said if people need to report damage they should call 942-8553. EDGEFIELD, S.C. —A 3.2-magnitude earthquake hit Edgefield, S.C., Sunday, two days after the same city was hit with a 4.1-magnitude earthquake. Two earthquakes in two days have people calling insurance agencies to see if they’re covered for damage. Unless you have a policy specifically for earthquakes your home policy probably does not cover it. Officials at the U.S. Geological Survey said the 3.2-magnitude quake struck on Sunday at 3:23 p.m. WYFF News 4 meteorologist Chris Justus said the quake was much weaker than the earthquake that hit Friday night. He said smaller aftershocks are common following earthquakes. WYFF News 4 took calls from viewers that said they felt the tremor in Greenwood, Abbeville and Ware Shoals. Authorities near Edgefield have not reported any injuries or major damage related to Sunday’s earthquake. Sunday’s quake is considered an aftershock of the 4.1-magnitude quake Friday night.

History of earthquakes in S.C. According to the South Carolina Emergency Management Division, this was the 13th earthquake that South Carolina has experienced in the past year. The SCEMD said South Carolina normally experiences 15-20 earthquakes per year. The most powerful quake in recorded history to hit South Carolina occurred on Aug. 31, 1886, according to the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources. The quake with an estimated magnitude of 7.6 was centered near Summerville, S.C. Approximately 60 people died as a result of the quake. It was reported that ground shaking damaged structures as far away as 200 miles from Charleston. It was the strongest earthquake known to hit the East Coast.