Greenwood, South Carolina – A rare string of seven small earthquakes rattled areas around Lake Greenwood late Friday night and into early Saturday morning, with the strongest shaking reaching magnitude 3.0, according to USGS measurements.
According to the U.S. Geological Survey and the National Weather Service in Greenville-Spartanburg, the quakes began around 12:17 a.m. and continued until just before 4 a.m. Saturday. Most of the tremors were centered within a few kilometers of Coronaca and Lake Shores, striking at shallow depths between 0.3 and 6.8 kilometers.
The strongest earthquake—a 3.0 magnitude—was recorded at 2:03 a.m. about 3 kilometers north of Coronaca. Others ranged between 1.8 and 2.9 in magnitude. While no damage reports have been confirmed, residents in Greenwood, Cross Hill, and Waterloo reported feeling light shaking overnight.
Emergency management officials advise residents to check for any structural cracks and ensure emergency kits are ready, though no evacuations or road closures have been ordered. These types of clustered tremors, known as an earthquake swarm, are unusual for this region but not unprecedented.
Additional seismic activity is possible through the weekend as aftershocks may continue. USGS and local emergency services will monitor for further developments.
