Sixth earthquake in a year recorded in mountain county in western North Carolina

A small mountain county in western North Carolina just recorded its sixth earthquake in 12 months, scientists say.

The 1.6 magnitude quake happened around 8 p.m. Sunday, 1.8 miles east of Mills River in Henderson County, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The town of 7,100 people is about 18 miles south of Asheville.

A quake of that magnitude is too mild to be felt by most people, and the USGS reported no witness accounts.

“The magnitude, location, and depth of an earthquake, and overlying soil conditions determine how widely and strongly any particular event can be felt,” the USGS says. “Typically, people report feeling earthquakes larger than about magnitude 3.0.”

Henderson County is not known for earthquakes, but it marked the sixth time in 12 months one has been recorded in the county, according to Earthquake Track.

The others ranged from 1.9 to 2.3 magnitude, including: three earthquakes near Valley Hill May 4 and 5; one at Laurel Park on April 30, and one in East Flat Rock on March 16, according to the tracking site.

Earthquakes in North Carolina are typically mild and happen in the mountainous western part of the state.

However, the Sparta community near Allegheny County’s Virginia state line has had a series of quakes since Aug. 9, when a 5.1 magnitude caused extensive damage, McClatchy News reported last year. It was the state’s strongest earthquake since 1916, the National Weather Service said.

Earthquake tracker reports the Sparta area has had 10 earthquakes since October, including one 2.6 magnitude and one 2.8 magnitude.