An earthquake rattled central South Carolina Tuesday morning, marking the first Carolina quake of 2026. The U.S. Geological Survey recorded the tremor at 11:33:16 UTC (about 6:33 a.m. ET), centered about 5 km east of Elgin near the Lugoff area. According to the USGS, the quake had a final magnitude of 2.7.
The quake struck at roughly 4 km depth, which can make small events feel sharper near the epicenter. Residents around Elgin and the Columbia region reported feeling a quick jolt and light shaking, and hundreds filed public “felt it” reports soon after.
Earthquakes have been increasing in frequency around the Charlotte region over the past few years. Last year, we experienced the largest earthquake in over 100 years when a 5.1 magnitude quake hit Sparta, NC, and since then, dozens of aftershocks have continued to rattle our state.
According to USGS.gov, “Moderately damaging earthquakes strike the inland Carolinas every few decades, and smaller earthquakes are felt about once each year or two.”
Have you felt any of the quakes?
