An early morning earthquake struck Tennessee, delivering a 4.1 magnitude tremor that reverberated across parts of the southern United States, reaching as far as Atlanta, Georgia, on Saturday morning. Fortunately, no significant injuries or damage were immediately reported as a result of the seismic activity.
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) pinpointed the earthquake’s epicenter to be roughly 12 miles (20 kilometers) from Greenback, Tennessee, which lies around 30 miles (48 kilometers) south of Knoxville. The quake made its presence known around 9 a.m. EDT. Within the first hour of the tremor, the USGS received over 23,000 reports from the public, indicating the widespread perception of the earthquake. Meteorologists in regions like Georgia and North Carolina also reported feeling the ground shaking.
There remains a slight chance, about 5%, of experiencing an aftershock of similar magnitude in the coming week, according to USGS data. Residents like Gabriela Reilly, who was in Braselton, Georgia, witnessed the quake firsthand. While making breakfast, she recalled her home shaking, suspecting an aircraft was overhead until her husband corrected her. Jason Pack, located near Knoxville, was still in bed when he experienced the tremor, noting that the sensation was atypical for the region known more for other natural disasters like tornadoes.
Pack, a retired FBI agent familiar with emergency situations, emphasized the importance of earthquake preparedness, regardless of the smaller size of this particular event. He reminded others to drop, cover, and hold on indoors and avoid structures if outside during an earthquake.
Typically, earthquakes don’t cause significant damage until they exceed a magnitude of 4 or 5, contingent on various factors like building integrity and proximity to the epicenter. This quake originated in the East Tennessee Seismic Zone, an area known for its susceptibility to seismic events. Since 1950, the zone has experienced 15 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or higher within a 155-mile (250-kilometer) radius from Saturday’s event.
In 1973, the largest quake near Knoxville reached a magnitude of 4.7. More recently, in December 2018, the seismic zone was active with two notable tremors: one at 4.4 magnitude centered in Decatur, Tennessee, and another, slightly smaller quake soon after. These events were felt across several states including Georgia, Kentucky, and North Carolina.
Seismic waves tend to travel more efficiently across the Eastern United States compared to the Western regions, due to geological differences. As a result, such quakes are often perceived over greater distances and by a larger population in the East. This earthquake serves as a reminder of the geological dynamics at play in the southeastern U.S.