Greenback, Tennessee – A 4.1-magnitude earthquake that struck east Tennessee on the morning of May 10, 2025, rattled not only the local area but also parts of several Southern states. The tremor, which occurred at 9:04 a.m. near Greenback—about 30 miles southwest of Knoxville—was felt across the Southeast, including areas in North and South Carolina, Alabama, Kentucky, Georgia, and Virginia, according to federal data from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).
While the shaking was reported as light, early reports indicate widespread tremors. Local authorities, including the Knoxville Fire Department and Police Department, have confirmed they received no reports of significant damage, according to spokesman Mark Wilbanks and the Knoxville News Sentinel.
Seismologists from Michigan Technological University note that earthquakes of this magnitude are typically felt but rarely cause major damage. According to the university’s scale, a 4.1-magnitude quake is considered minor, causing little to no damage, especially in populated areas.
While earthquakes in Tennessee are not unusual, they are typically on the smaller side. In the past 30 days alone, Tennessee recorded 21 earthquakes of lesser magnitudes, with only three surpassing a magnitude of 3.0 over the past year. The state, located near the New Madrid Seismic Zone, experiences occasional tremors, but this earthquake stands as one of the stronger quakes in recent history.
