South Carolina Earthquake Today: Residents React to Strongest Tremor in 8 Years
(Photo : Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)
According to locals, a powerful earthquake rattles South Carolina and buildings close to a busy highway.

Another day, another earthquake was felt by residents throughout central South Carolina. However, this was the state's biggest tremor in almost eight years.

According to the US Geological Survey, the 3.5 magnitude earthquake hit at 2:43 pm. Wednesday in a neighborhood 3.2 miles east of Elgin. The USGS quake map has received about 3,000 reports of individuals experiencing it, with claims coming from throughout Richland, Kershaw, and Lexington Counties, as well as far north as Charlotte.

Earthquakes Strike South Carolina

It was first recorded as a 3.3 quake, but the USGS revised that up around 50 minutes later. It's common for magnitudes to be updated when new data becomes available. It was approximately one mile below the surface. Because it was so shallow, it is possible that it was felt over a larger region.

At 2:57 pm, the first aftershock occurred 14 minutes later. At a depth of 1.36 miles, the 2.06 magnitude quake was located 3.8 miles east of Elgin. At such magnitude, it's doubtful that anyone felt anything unless they were close to the epicenter.

At 4:02 pm, another aftershock occurred. However, it was considerably smaller, with a magnitude of 1.88. The quake on Wednesday was the biggest in South Carolina since a 4.1 magnitude tremor hit near McCormick County in February of 2014.This current activity follows a 3.4 magnitude earthquake that shook the Elgin region at 1:31 a.m. Sunday.

Over three dozen quakes have been localized in the Elgin region since December of last year. As reported by USGS, more than 3,000 individuals felt the tremor on Wednesday. Because of the shallow nature of the earthquake, it may be felt across a larger region.

According to ABC News station WPDE in Florence, South Carolina, a 3.3 magnitude earthquake rocked Columbia in May and was felt in Charlotte, North Carolina, and Augusta, Georgia. Columbia is 25 kilometers away from Elgin.

When other states, such as California, receive more attention for earthquakes, South Carolina, according to the South Carolina Emergency Management Division, receives between 10 and 15 earthquakes every year, News19 reported.

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South Carolina Reacts to Series of Earthquakes in State

Residents in the region flocked to Twitter to express their fears, with one claiming to have felt their building "shake" near Interstate 20.

Earthquakes are not normal here, and I'm shook af," said a person on Twitter.

"A 3.3 Earthquake??!! What is trying to come out of the ground in South Carolina," said another South Carolina resident.

"Why am I getting used to earthquakes in the middle of South Carolina," a third person asked.

There were no reports of significant damage. The tremor in South Carolina follows another tremor registered in North Carolina on Tuesday. The 2.1 magnitude earthquake. Here are other tweets that detailed the incident:

 
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