A 5.1 magnitude tremor shook much of North Carolina and other areas of the eastern United States this Sunday morning. Although it did not cause casualties or damage, it did surprise the residents of the area.
The epicenter was located four kilometers (2.48 miles) southeast of Sparta, in the border region between North Carolina and Virginia, about 100 miles from the city of Charlotte. The shaking occurred at a depth of 3.7 kilometers (2.29 miles).
Mild to moderate shaking was felt in both states, as well as parts of West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee and South Carolina, according to the Earthquakes-Report website.
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The United States Geological Survey (USGS) reported that it was the most intense earthquake in North Carolina since 1916. Then the recorded magnitude was 5.2.
The tremor this Sunday was reported at 8:07 am, according to this agency. The National Weather Service also began receiving reports from Raleigh, Cary, Southern Pines and Aberdeen, said James Danco, a meteorologist, the Charlotte Observer newspaper reports.
"The whole house shook," some users said on Twitter, including a person who identifies himself in his profile as Rebecca Snody. The USGS said that the population of the affected region resides in buildings "that are resistant to earthquakes, although there are vulnerable structures."
At least in Sparta there were reports of minor damage, according to CNN. "It felt like a big engine and a big wave were passing under the bed," said Sparta Mayor Wes Brinegar, who was awakened by the earthquake.
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Randy Baldwin of the Colorado Earthquake Information Center told local outlet The News & Observer that "more than 6,000 reports of the quake within a 200-mile radius affecting seven states were received."
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With information from NBC News, The Charlotte Observer, AP, The News & Observer, CNN, Earthquake-Report.com.
