Stronger earthquake hits same part of South Carolina days after another was recorded

For the second time in four days an earthquake was confirmed in South Carolina, and the most recent tremors were among the strongest recorded in the Palmetto State in 2024.

A 2.4 magnitude earthquake was confirmed early Sunday morning in the Greenwood County area, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. This is the second consecutive earthquake recorded in South Carolina to hit in that area.

The previous earthquake was last Thursday in nearly the same location of the Palmetto State, and was recorded at a 2.2 magnitude, according to USGS.

Sunday’s earthquake was confirmed at 4:48 a.m. in the area near Coronaca, the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources said. It happened about 2.5 miles beneath the surface, the USGS said.

The most recent seismic activity, the third most powerful in 2024, coincided with the start of S.C. Earthquake Preparedness Week, according to the state’s Emergency Management Division.

This was the 18th confirmed earthquake this year in South Carolina, after 28 quakes were recorded in 2023, according to the state Department of Natural Resources.

These back-to-back earthquakes in Greenwood County happened weeks after two earthquakes were recorded in the area near South Carolina state line with North Carolina.

TIL:

The strongest earthquake ever recorded in South Carolina — and on the East Coast of the United States — was a devastating 7.3 in Charleston in 1886. That quake killed 60 people and was felt over 2.5 million square miles, from Cuba to New York and Bermuda to the Mississippi River, according to the state EMD.