2 earthquakes recorded Thursday night in Midlands after 2-morning quakes
KERSHAW COUNTY, S.C. (WCSC) - After two earthquakes were recorded in the morning, two more were recorded Thursday night in Kershaw County.
The first one during the night was a 2.1 magnitude quake centered 3.5 miles north-northeast of Lugoff, and it was reported around 8:45 p.m. The second one was a 1.1 magnitude centered 3.4 miles south of Lugoff at 9:05 p.m.
Earlier in the day, the South Carolina Emergency Management Division said the recent streak of earthquakes in the midlands may be the longest period of consecutive earthquakes in state history.
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Two earthquakes were recorded early Thursday morning in Kershaw County. The latest in a series of quakes to impact the Midlands this week.
The U.S. Geological Survey reported a 2.4 magnitude quake was detected 3.7 miles south-southwest of Lugoff at 12:23 a.m. Thursday morning.
A second quake measured a 2.02 magnitude a few hours later near Elgin at 5:22 a.m., the USGS said.
The latest quakes came less than a day after a 3.6 magnitude earthquake hit the area.
The quakes make nine in the last 24 hours and make a total of 14 to hit the area since Sunday.
Wednesday saw seven earthquakes hit the region.
The first quake reported on Wednesday measured a 3.5 magnitude and happened at 2:43 p.m. Its epicenter was 3.2 miles east of Elgin, or about 20.5 miles northeast of Columbia, the USGS said.
A second quake measuring 2.1 magnitude struck 14 minutes later at 2:57 p.m. Its epicenter was 3.8 miles east of Elgin, or 20.9 miles east-northeast of Columbia.
Two smaller quakes, a magnitude 1.9 at 3:02 p.m. and a magnitude 1.5 at 3:34 p.m. followed.
Then, a 3.6 magnitude earthquake was reported 1.8 miles east of Elgin at 7:03 p.m. Wednesday night.
The 3.6 magnitude quake was the strongest documented by the USGS in the area in the last year.
Two smaller quakes followed Wednesday night.
The first, a 1.46 magnitude quake, was recorded at 7:22 p.m. in the same area and a 1.79 magnitude quake followed less than a minute later 4.4 miles south-southwest of Lugoff.
The latest quake adds to the list of quakes in the Midlands that began early Sunday morning when a 3.4 magnitude earthquake struck Kershaw County at approximately 1:30 a.m. Four aftershocks were recorded over the course of Sunday.
Earthquake activity hasn’t just been limited to the Midlands this week as a 1.2 magnitude quake was recorded near Centerville in Dorchester County early Monday morning.
A map and complete list of earthquakes in South Carolina since 2006 can be found on the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources’ geological survey website.
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