At least a dozen earthquakes have struck South Carolina in the Greenwood County area within roughly one week, centered near Coronaca and Lake Greenwood, with the largest registering about magnitude 3.0.
The earthquake swarm prompted the South Carolina Emergency Management Division to urge residents to review earthquake preparedness steps and insurance options.
Why It Matters
The flurry of small quakes was notable for its frequency in a concentrated area and because some events were shallow enough to be felt by residents, even though the magnitudes remained below levels typically associated with structural damage.
Primary reporting and state records indicated the Coronaca/Greenwood sequence represented the most active week in the area since an earlier swarm in October 2024, and contributed to dozens of quakes recorded statewide so far in 2025.
What To Know
The series included quakes measured at magnitudes of about 1.7 to 3.0; two events shortly after midnight on one recent Saturday were recorded at 2.9 and 3.0.
No injuries or major damage have been reported in connection with the recent swarm.
The South Carolina Emergency Management Division shared a link with earthquake safety information on social media, which reiterated standard safety guidance: drop, cover, and hold on during shaking, secure heavy items in homes, and review insurance coverage for earthquake damage.
Residents who felt shaking were directed to report observations through the U.S. Geological Survey’s reporting service.
USGS research geophysicist Thomas Pratt told Newsweek that damage typically doesn’t occur until earthquakes hit 4.5 magnitude. Earthquakes striking the Eastern U.S. are not unusual, Pratt said. What is unusual is how frequently they’ve struck the same area over the past week.
It’s unclear what caused the recent swarm. Experts are also unsure what the swarm might signify, if anything. Tens of thousands of such minor earthquakes have struck the Eastern U.S. over the past 400 years, Pratt said. In two cases, the swarms preceded a large, much more destructive earthquake.
One such quake occurred in Charleston, South Carolina, in 1886 when a magnitude 7.0 quake struck the region, killing 60 people and causing devastating damage. In 2020, a 5.1 magnitude quake struck in Sparta, North Carolina, causing damage to homes and injuring at least one person.
“The only way to know if these are foreshocks is if a big one happens,” Pratt said. “The chances these are foreshocks are not impossible, but very unlikely.”
What People Are Saying
USGS research geophysicist Thomas Pratt told Newsweek: “Small earthquakes like this happen all the time in the Eastern U.S. What’s unusual about this is to have so many in just a few days.”
South Carolina Emergency Management Division in a post on X: “After an active weekend of earthquakes in South Carolina, the South Carolina Emergency Management Division is urging residents to take steps to prepare as the state continues to experience regular seismic activity.”
What Happens Next
It’s impossible to tell if the swarm will precede a larger earthquake, although this scenario is unlikely. Experts urge people to have disaster plans in place.
The post Warning Issued as a Dozen Earthquakes Hit South Carolina in One Week appeared first on Newsweek.
