The quake, whose epicenter is in Alleghany County, was felt as significantly away as South Carolina and Ga, in accordance to social media posts. The USGS gained reports from much more than 300 miles absent, in Atlanta.
It struck about 8:07 a.m. ET.
“It felt like a large locomotive heading by and a significant wave coming beneath the bed,” reported Sparta Mayor Wes Brinegar, who was woke up by the quake. “A major wave coming to raise you.”
There are no immediate reports of accidents, but there is some minor injury in the town of about 1,800 men and women, he said.
“Cracked foundation, and things slipping off shelves in properties,” Brinegar stated. “I’ve lived here my entire daily life and have never ever felt everything like that.”
The USGS suggests earthquakes become harmful at a magnitude of 4. to 5., based on variables. A 5.3-magnitude is regarded as a moderate quake, the USGS says.
City Councilman Cole Edwards, much too, was jolted awake by the quake, he claimed. There was no problems to his household, but it broke some dishes and knocked some pictures off of the wall, he mentioned.
“We have experienced a lot of worried folks this early morning,” the mayor explained. “That was the most powerful just one we’ve ever experienced.”
The earthquake rumbled at a depth of about 5.7 miles, which is regarded a shallow quake. Quakes shallower than 43 miles are likely to be more harmful than deeper types, the USGS claims.
Sparta is about 100 miles north of Charlotte. A Charlotte firefighters union tweeted there were no stories of accidents.
The Sparta place sits amid a few seismic zones, in Charleston, South Carolina, jap Tennessee and central Virginia. Numerous lesser quakes, all 2.6-magnitude or lessen, rumbled in the vicinity of Sparta on Saturday and early Sunday. Two far more temblors struck a handful of miles from Seymour, Tennessee, past weekend, the USGS says.
CNN’s Chandler Thornton and Chuck Johnston contributed to this report.
