SC’s worst earthquake hit in 1886. This study predicts what a similar one would do today
South Carolina is not known for its earthquakes. Hurricanes are always a danger late every autumn, but the Palmetto State is more likely to experience small quakes like the one recorded near Elgin on Monday than a major shakeup.
But that hasn’t always been the case. In 1886, Charleston was racked by the largest earthquake ever to hit the eastern United States. Seismologists estimate that 7.3-magnitude quake could be felt over 2.5 million square miles, reaching from Cuba to New York and from Bermuda to the Mississippi River, according to the S.C. Emergency Management Division.
In only a minute on the evening of Aug. 31, 1886, many buildings in a city only 20 years removed from the Civil War were leveled, at least 60 people were killed and more than $158 million in damage was done, using 2020 adjusted figures. Newspaper reports from the time suggested even those whose homes were still standing stayed outdoors in fear of an aftershock.
Although that quake now seems unique, it was not a fluke. South Carolina’s coastline lies in one of the most seismically active regions of the country, with two steeply dipping faults running underneath it. The northeast-trending Woodstock Fault is considered the deeper one by geologists, while the shallower Ashley River fault runs to the northwest, according to SC EMD.
“If the present is the key to the past, and the past is an analog for the future, then the Charleston region can expect to experience another 1886 magnitude event in the future,” a state presentation on South Carolina earthquakes says.
With the explosion of development and population growth in the last 135 years, forecasters expect a similar-sized quake today could kill 900 people and injure around 45,000, 20% of whom may require hospitalization. An estimated 60,000 people could require short-term shelter, EMD predicts.
Eighty percent of households in Charleston, Berkeley and Dorchester counties could be without water for days or even months, and 300,000 households could have their power knocked out. Meanwhile, an estimated 250 fires could break out across the region due to the earthquake. “The lack of operational firefighting equipment and water due to the earthquake would be a major concern,” according to an EMD study.
Direct economic losses from building damage and business interruption could exceed $14 billion, and damage to transportation and utility systems could raise that figure to $20 billion.
Thirty percent of the region’s hospitals could become nonfunctional, and close to 800 bridges could be damaged beyond use. Schools and other essential infrastructure could also suffer heavy damage.
Emergency officials recommend securing items in your home against falling during an earthquake, except for gas-powered appliances which should have flexible connections to prevent breaking. Ceiling fans and hanging light fixtures should be secured, and homeowners should know how and where in the home to shut off their utilities.
Basic disaster supplies should include non-perishable food, safe drinking water, a first-aid kit, fire-extinguisher and a flashlight with extra batteries.
This story was originally published December 27, 2021 at 3:56 PM with the headline "SC’s worst earthquake hit in 1886. This study predicts what a similar one would do today."
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