NC hit with strongest quake since 1926

• North Carolina was hit on Sunday by a 5.1-magnitude earthquake, the state’s strongest quake since 1926, when a 5.2-magnitude struck Mitchell County.
• The shocks were reportedly felt all along the eastern seaboard.
• There has been no reported injuries so far, but the town of Sparta, which is roughly 2 miles from the epicenter, was hit by structural damage.

North Carolina was hit on Sunday by a 5.1-magnitude earthquake, the state’s strongest quake since 1926, according to the North Carolina Geological Survey.

The quake struck about 8:07 a.m. ET roughly 2 miles from the town of Sparta, North Carolina, the US Geological Survey (USGS) reported. The epicenter is located in Alleghany County, along the state’s border with Virginia.

The shocks were reportedly felt all along the eastern seaboard, even as far away as Washington D.C. and Atlanta.

Alleghany County Sheriff Bryan Maines recounted his experience to CNN. He said that he was preparing to go to church when “stuff started falling off of the wall.”

He said that the house looked like it was shifting and that it felt like it would fall down. “My chimney was starting to crack,” he added.

Maines said that several houses were damaged, with some having “shifted 1 or 2 inches off their foundation.” Some residents had to “leave their homes because it’s not safe inside,” he added.

There has been no reported injuries so far.

A Charlotte firefighters union shared on Twitter, “Good Morning Charlotte, we are sure most of you are awake because yes, that was an earthquake you felt. No local reports of damage or injuries but what a wake up call.”

Sparta is located about 100 miles north of Charlotte.

The town of about 1,800 people experienced a lot of structural damage, however, said Sparta Mayor Wes Brinegar.

The mayor said that the foundation of his own home had cracked.

The mayor shared, “It felt like a big locomotive going by and a big wave coming underneath the bed. I’ve lived here my whole life and have never felt anything like that.”

Sheriff Maines sais that his deputies are making sure to stay “highly visible” to help alleviate anxiety.

“We’ve had a lot of scared folks this morning. That was the most intense one we’ve ever had,” the mayor said.

Earthquakes can cause destruction at a magnitude of 4.0 to 5.0, the USGS said. This quake, in particular, was given a green alert, which means a low likelihood of casualties and damage.

With a depth of about 5.7 miles, the quake was considered shallow. Shallower quakes, however, tend to cause more destrcution than deeper ones, said the USGS.

According to the North Carolina Geological Survey, the earthquake is the state’s strongest since 1926, when a 5.2-magnitude struck Mitchell County on July 8, 1926. Before that, a 5.5-magnitude shook Skyland in 1916.

Source: CNN