Residents in Summerville and nearby Lowcountry areas of South Carolina have reported feeling startled by a recent cluster of minor earthquakes over the past week. No injuries or significant damage occurred, but the events prompted personal accounts of shaking homes and loud booming sounds.
Quake Timeline
Three small quakes struck near Summerville in Dorchester County:
- Tuesday: Magnitude 2.3, felt with shaking and noises.
- Saturday night (around 10:40 p.m.): Magnitude 2.9, shallow depth making it more noticeable across the Tri-County area.
- Monday morning: Magnitude 1.6 near Kings Grant, at about 4:10 a.m.
Local engineer Gene Brislin attributes these to stress release along fault lines in the region, where tectonic plates move and get stuck, leading to minor vibrations as pressure eases.
Resident Experiences
Longtime residents like Shirlene described being woken by house-shifting and loud rumbles, calling it frightening after 35 years without similar events. Others, including Jessica at a library, felt shaking mistaken initially for mechanical noise; Ring cameras captured audible booms.
Expert Insights
Brislin notes the Lowcountry sits in a seismically active “bad spot” with frequent small tremors due to crustal weaknesses—smaller quakes relieve stress and aren’t precursors to larger ones. Helicorders help monitor this activity visually over time.
Preparedness Advice
Officials recommend reporting felt quakes to track patterns, reviewing safety steps like “drop, cover, and hold,” and checking earthquake insurance options. State Rep. Gil Gatch’s House Bill 3227 pushes for insurer notifications in fault-prone areas to boost awareness. While unsettling, experts see no cause for panic in these minor events.
