KERSHAW COUNTY, S.C. — Dozens of Kershaw County residents have reported feeling a slight rumble on Saturday morning following a small earthquake, the U.S. Geological Survey says.
The agency said the magnitude 2.1 earthquake occurred around 5:30 a.m. just off Fort Jackson Road between Haig Creek and Kennedy Road. The estimated epicenter is also near Doby's Mill Elementary School. Magnitudes below the 2.3 and 2.5 range are typically difficult for humans to feel. However, a USGS feature that allows residents to self-report the impact of earthquakes shows 52 reports that were predominantly in the Kershaw County area.
It's the second earthquake in the Kershaw County area in recent days, with the last one, with a magnitude of 2.2, occurring around 3:15 a.m. on Dec. 22. A year earlier, the region was at the center of a swarm of earthquakes that lasted most of the year. However, those have largely fallen off in 2023 until now.
However, that's not to say South Carolina has been seismically dormant this year, with several earthquakes recorded further west at the Monticello Reservoir near Jenkinsville.
Since Jan. 1, 2023, there have been just shy of 30 earthquakes of varying sizes across the state.
