Dozens report shaking Tuesday from earthquake near Morganton, North Carolina

A 2.7-magnitude earthquake was reported Tuesday morning in western North Carolina, and it was powerful enough that the U.S.. Geological Survey is receiving reports of people feeling it in upstate South Carolina.

The quake occurred around 9:19 a.m., and was centered 3.7 miles north of Morganton, at a depth of around 3.5 miles, the USGS reported.

More then three dozen reports of people feeling the quake had been logged into the USGS by 10 a.m., including reports from Charlotte to the south, Winston-Salem to the east and west of Asheville, in Chandler (about 60 miles southwest or Morganton).

Among the farthest of the reports: 194 miles northeast in Henderson and 226 miles southeast, near Goldsboro, the USGS reports.

One report also came from 70 miles south, in York County, South Carolina.

The quake was mild, but stands as one of the most powerful felt in the state since a 5.1 rattled the town of Sparta in August 2020. That quake was felt in multiple states and caused extensive damage to buildings in the Sparta area.

USGS officials report it is the strongest of three earthquakes North Carolina has experienced in the past 30 days, including a 2.1 near Cooleemee and a 1.7 in Sparta, on the state’s Virginia border.

“The magnitude, location, and depth of an earthquake, and overlying soil conditions determine how widely and strongly any particular event can be felt,” the USGS reports.

“Typically, people report feeling earthquakes larger than about magnitude 3.0.”

This story will be updated.

This story was originally published August 17, 2021 at 10:20 AM with the headline "Dozens report shaking Tuesday from earthquake near Morganton, North Carolina."