LESSLIE, S.C. — A small earthquake hit upstate South Carolina Monday night, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS),
According to the data, the 2.3 earthquake hit just outside of Lesslie, SC in Rock County around 3 p.m. It was roughly .09 km underground, or a little bit more than half a mile.
The earthquake, that hit south of Rock Hill, is one of multiple earthquakes in South Carolina this year including Cayce and Kershaw County. According to the USGS website, an earthquake categorized as a two on the moment magnitude scale rarely causes damage and shaking would be 'weak.'
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.
Geologists say that Charleston lies in one of the most seismically active areas in the eastern United States.
