More Minor Earthquakes Shake Parts of South Carolina

Six more minor earthquakes were reported in South Carolina this week, potentially raising new demand for earthquake insurance.

The U.S. Geological Survey said that Wednesday’s 2.3 magnitude earthquake hit around 4:12 a.m., four miles of Elgin, in the Midlands region of South Carolina, according to local news reports. The quake had a depth of 1 kilometer. Thursday’s earthquake had a 2.5 magnitude and hit around 7:11 a.m. 2.3 miles of Elgin.

Two days earlier, four quakes, including one of 3.3 magnitude, were recorded in the state. Those followed several temblors in November and December near the coast, and more throughout the year, across the state, authorities said. A stronger earthquake, 5.1 magnitude on the Richter scale, struck near Greenville, North Carolina, in 2020.

Insurance agents in the state have said that some property owners have added quake insurance and others are now considering it. Geologists have said minor shaking is not unusual in the area, but larger quakes have hit through the years, including a 7.0 quake in 1886.

Some minor quakes, near Jenkinsville, northwest of the capital city of Columbia, have been traced to the weight of a man-made reservoir that is causing bedrock to fracture, geologists have said.