ELGIN, S.C. — Two more earthquakes have been reported in the Midlands and people are already saying they felt them.
The U.S. Geological Survey says the first quake happened at 12:06 p.m. Tuesday in an area centered 3.2 miles northeast of Elgin near Watts Hill Road. Multiple people online have reported feeling it, including down in the Columbia area.
This one was far deeper than many of the others recorded lately, as this one happened 8.8 miles beneath the surface.
Six minutes later at 12:12 p.m., a 2.11 quake was recorded 3.7 miles east-southeast of Elgin near Fort Jackson Road....less than a mile from Interstate 20. It was much closer to the surface at 1.9 miles deep.
They're the latest of over 60 quakes that have been felt in the region since December. Seismologists now say the area is in what's known as an earthquake "swarm."
What's causing the swarm is still being researched, but just Monday, the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources released a report that suggested the nearby Lake Wateree could be responsible. They believe the initial earthquake in late December may have allowed water from the Wateree River to seep into new cracks that opened from the original December earthquake, which has now set off additional tremors in the area.
Researchers have set up recording devices in the area to gather more data about the quakes.
The Town of Elgin plans to host a Virtual Earthquake Town Hall on Wednesday, June 27th.
Earthquakes happen throughout the state but most occur near the coast. Approximately 70 percent of earthquakes are in the coastal plain, with most happening in the Lowcountry.
Back in 1886, Charleston was hit by a catastrophic earthquake. It had an estimated magnitude of 7.3, and was felt as far away and Cuba and New York. At least 60 people were killed, and thousands of building were damaged.
Structural damage extended hundreds of miles to cities in Alabama, Ohio, and Kentucky.