Small earthquake recorded in Catawba County

CATAWBA COUNTY, N.C. — A small earthquake was reported about 2 miles north of Catawba, North Carolina on Friday morning, according to the United States Geological Survey.

The 1.6-magnitude tremor happened at 7:52 a.m. about 9 miles northeast of Newton and about 11 miles southwest of Statesville.

No injuries or damage was reported from the small quake.

Earthquakes of 2.5 magnitudes or less are usually not felt but officials said they can be recorded by a seismograph.

Since at least 1776, people living inland in North and South Carolina, and in nearby parts of Georgia and Tennessee, have felt small earthquakes and sometimes seen damage from infrequent larger ones. The largest earthquake in the area (magnitude 5.1) occurred in 1916, and the second largest was in 2020.

Every few decades, moderately damaging earthquakes strike the inland Carolinas, and smaller earthquakes are felt about once each year or two.

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Cox Media Group