4.1-Magnitude Earthquake in Eastern Tennessee Rattles Parts of the Southeast
A rare earthquake with a magnitude of 4.1 struck eastern Tennessee on Saturday morning, sending tremors as far as Charlotte, North Carolina—over 250 miles away.
According to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the quake occurred at 9:04 a.m. near Greenback, Tennessee, located about 30 miles southwest of Knoxville. The earthquake originated at a depth of nearly 25 miles, classifying it as a shallow quake (defined as under 43 miles deep).
People across Tennessee, Georgia, and the Carolinas reported feeling the shaking. Thousands submitted reports to the USGS, mostly describing mild vibrations.
Social media buzzed with reactions, particularly from Atlanta. “First ever earthquake you could actually feel in Atlanta,” one user wrote on X, describing about 10 seconds of shaking. Another posted, “I could’ve sworn I felt a slight tremor that shook my house.”
Despite the widespread reports, there were no immediate signs of damage, according to local fire and police departments in Knoxville.
Officials say there’s a 23% chance of experiencing aftershocks stronger than magnitude 3 in the coming week.
Though Tennessee isn’t known for large earthquakes, the region is part of the East Tennessee Seismic Zone, one of the most seismically active areas in the southeastern U.S. The state has experienced 21 smaller quakes in the past month alone, with only three exceeding a 3.0 magnitude this year.
Saturday’s quake is the seventh earthquake of magnitude 4.0 or higher in Tennessee since 1900. The last was a 4.4-magnitude quake near Decatur in 2018. The strongest quake recorded in the region was a 4.7-magnitude event in Alcoa in 1973.
