SUMMERVILLE, S.C. — Two small earthquakes struck within miles of each other down in South Carolina near Charleston Monday.
The first struck around 12:49 p.m. Monday, September 27, 2021, as the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) recorded the tremor. The 2.8 magnitude quake was centered approximately 1.86 miles north-northeast of Summerville at a depth of almost 4 miles.
If you felt the quake -- and as of 3 p.m. 223 people said that they had online -- tell the USGS at earthquake.usgs.gov
Then at 6:21 p.m, a 3.27 magnitude quake happened about 1.2 miles from Summerville. This was 3.94 miles beneath the surface.
Most earthquakes in the state happen near the coast. Approximately 70 percent of earthquakes are in the coastal plain, with most happening in the Lowcountry.
Back in 1886, Charleston was hit by a catastrophic earthquake. It had an estimated magnitude of 7.3, and was felt as far away and Cuba and New York. At least 60 people were killed, and thousands of building were damaged.
Structural damage extended hundreds of miles to cities in Alabama, Ohio, and Kentucky.
Geologists say that Charleston lies in one of the most seismically active areas in the eastern United States.