ELGIN, S.C. — Four earthquakes were felt near Elgin on Monday afternoon. Experts say this is the first time an earthquake has been recorded in the area.
"Earthquakes are kind of social creatures. They tend to occur together," said Stephen Jaume, associate professor of geology at the College of Charleston. "They tend to occur local to each other. So when you find one somewhat isolated from the next nearest one its a little unusual."
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) reported the first earthquake, measuring at a 3.3 magnitude, occurred at 2:18 p.m.
USGS confirmed a 2.5 magnitude aftershock occurred at 5:38 p.m. near Elgin.
A 2.1 magnitude aftershock was recorded at 6:22 p.m., according to USGS.
Another aftershock, this one measured at 1.7 magnitude, was recorded at 10:03 p.m.
Residents were left shaken after the series of earthquakes.
“All of a sudden I felt a big rumble under my feet, and a boom," said resident Tracy Meek.
"I was in the office and me and my boss were actually going over some paperwork, and we just heard a big boom. It was really loud, and then we felt a shake," said another resident.
Residents said they've never felt anything like it.
“We normally feel a lot of vibrations from when Fort Jackson is doing their training and everything, but this was totally different," said a third resident.
Although experts say earthquakes don't typically cause structural damage at a 3.3 magnitude, people still felt its impact.
“The windows shook, the cabinets opened, the whole floor shook, the roof was shaking, we had never felt anything like that before," she continued.
USGS reported three aftershocks that followed hours later with magnitudes of 2.5 and 2.1. Experts say these are common and usually less severe than the initial earthquake.
“Much much more rare, there could be something larger. But it’s much more likely there’s gonna be an earthquake it’s gonna be within a day or a few days and they’re gonna be smaller than the initial one. But we’re actually gonna be keeping an eye on it now," said Jaume.
To track the latest developments on the earthquake, visit the USGS website.