Pair of earthquakes rattles Western NC months after destructive quake, geologists say
Two earthquakes rattled Western North Carolina months after a more destructive one hit the same region, geologists say.
The latest quakes shook the ground within minutes of each other on Wednesday night, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
The first, a 2.6-magnitude earthquake, struck just after 11 p.m. Officials said the nearly 1-mile deep tremor hit an area outside Sparta, a town in Alleghany County roughly 70 miles northwest of Winston-Salem.
Also about 1 mile from Sparta, another earthquake hit at about 11:30 p.m. The 2.2-magnitude tremor had a depth of less than 0.5 miles, according to geologists.
Dozens of people reported feeling “weak” to “light” shaking but no damage from the quakes.
In August, a 5.1-magnitude earthquake hit Sparta and left more than 500 structures damaged. It was the largest tremor to shake the eastern United States in nearly a decade, McClatchy News previously reported.
Since then, several smaller earthquakes have been recorded in near Sparta.
Experts have said it’s possible for an affected area to experience aftershocks, earthquakes that follow bigger tremors.
“Aftershocks can continue over a period of weeks, months, or years,” the USGS said on its website. “In general, the larger the mainshock, the larger and more numerous the aftershocks, and the longer they will continue.”
Typically, 2.5- to 5.4-magnitude quakes are “often felt” but leave behind minor damage, according to Michigan Tech. People usually don’t feel tremors 2.5-magnitude or below, according to experts.
This story was originally published February 4, 2021 at 10:36 AM.
