A magnitude 1.9 earthquake struck near McCormick, South Carolina, early This morning, the fifth recorded in the state within the past 30 days and the latest in what has become an unusually active stretch of seismic activity for the Palmetto State.
The U.S. Geological Survey recorded the tremor at approximately 4:20 a.m. near the intersection of North Mine Street and Brewer Road, roughly one mile northwest of McCormick and close to the Georgia state line. The South Carolina Emergency Management Division reported the quake hit about four miles beneath the surface, near Strom Thurmond Lake. No injuries or damage were reported, and no one filed a felt report with USGS.
Why this location stands out
The McCormick area is not where most of South Carolina’s recent seismic activity has been concentrated. Of the 22 confirmed earthquakes in South Carolina so far this year, 12 of the past 14 occurred in the Columbia area. Earthquakes outside the Midlands, specifically beyond Kershaw County, have been uncommon in recent years.
Kershaw County has recorded 75 confirmed earthquakes since late June 2022, making it the most seismically active part of the state in the modern record. The two most powerful recent quakes in South Carolina struck there on June 29, 2022, when a 3.5 and a 3.6 magnitude earthquake hit in quick succession, generating a series of aftershocks. Those were the largest quakes to hit the state in nearly a decade, which itself was preceded by a 4.1 magnitude event in McCormick County in 2014.
Thursday’s quake was the second near the Georgia state line in recent weeks. A 2.1 magnitude earthquake struck northeast of Calhoun Falls on May 15.
The broader pattern in South Carolina
South Carolina has historically seen between six and 10 earthquakes per year, according to the state’s Geological Survey. That baseline has been significantly exceeded in recent years. There were 28 confirmed earthquakes in 2023, 30 in 2024, and 35 in 2025. Thursday’s quake brought the 2026 total to 22 through late May, with the year still more than half remaining.
Since January 2021, at least 199 earthquakes have been detected in the state. Of those, 132 occurred in the Columbia area, tracing back to a 3.3 magnitude quake recorded on December 27 of that year. The state’s emergency management division has noted that the majority of recent earthquakes fall into the micro quake category on the Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale.
Earthquakes measuring 2.5 magnitude or below typically go unnoticed without seismic instruments. Those below 5.5 are not likely to cause significant structural damage. The most recent tremor falls well within those thresholds.
A loud boom reported across the Midlands the same evening
Separately, WIS News reported that a loud boom was heard and felt across the Columbia area Thursday evening, with reports coming from multiple counties including Darlington and Chesterfield. The South Carolina Emergency Management Division was contacted to verify the cause as of publication, and the incident was described as a developing situation. Whether the boom was connected to seismic activity had not been confirmed.
Historical context
The strongest earthquake ever recorded in South Carolina remains the 1886 Charleston earthquake, a 7.3 magnitude event that killed 60 people and was felt across more than 2.5 million square miles, from Cuba to New York and from Bermuda to the Mississippi River. It is also the most powerful earthquake ever recorded on the East Coast of the United States.
The current uptick in seismic frequency, while notable, involves quakes that are smaller by several orders of magnitude. State geologist Scott Howard noted during a 2022 town hall that as many as 200 additional smaller tremors may have gone unnoticed and unrecorded during that period. The detection and reporting infrastructure has improved since then, which may account for some of the apparent increase in confirmed events.
Anyone who felt Today’s earthquake can report it directly to the USGS.