Earthquakes aren’t something most people associate with South Carolina — but new tremors in the Lowcountry are reminding residents the ground beneath them isn’t always still.
EARTHQUAKE! Did you feel it? 3.2 Magnitude Earthquake occurred at 10:37 PM. The depth was 6.2 miles. Earthquakes are common throughout the Lowcountry. pic.twitter.com/M41oSBJKv5
— Bill Walsh (@BILLWALSHTV) February 8, 2026
For the third time this month, seismic activity has been confirmed near Charleston — including one of the strongest earthquakes recorded in the state since last August.
South Carolina Public Media digital meteorologist Leslie Hudson explains why experts say this isn’t unusual — and why it still matters.
Earthquakes in the central and eastern U.S., although less frequent than in the western U.S., are typically felt over a much broader region. East of the Rockies, an earthquake can be felt over an area as much as ten times larger than a similar magnitude earthquake on the west coast. A magnitude 4.0 eastern U.S. earthquake typically can be felt at many places as far as 60 miles from where it occurred, and it infrequently causes damage near its source. A magnitude 5.5 eastern U.S. earthquake usually can be felt as far as 300 miles from where it occurred, and sometimes causes damage as far away as 25 miles away.