FAIRFIELD COUNTY, S.C. — An earthquake has once again shaken the ground near Jenkinsville in Fairfield County.
The latest earthquake reached a magnitude of 2.2 and occurred around 2:20 a.m., roughly five miles northwest of the town within the bounds of the Monticello Reservoir. It's the latest - and strongest - of four small earthquakes to rattle the region around one of South Carolina's smallest communities.
While stronger than what preceded it, an earthquake of its magnitude is still below the level most people can feel. And as of Sunday morning, no one has reported to the U.S. Geological Survey that they had noticed this early morning tremor.
This isn't the first time earthquakes have rumbled near Jenkinsville and the reservoir. A similar cluster shook the region in 2021. At the time, Dr. Steve Jaume with the College of Charleston's Department of Geology and Environmental Geosciences said the reservoir may be partially to blame due to the water's added pressure on the ground. He said water also seeps into cracks under the lake over time and that some of those cracks lead to faults, allowing them to move more easily.
