Georgia

2.5-magnitude quake rattles Atlanta-area community in Georgia, geologists say

A 4.2-magnitude earthquake struck Tuesday morning near Cobb, California, north of the San Francisco Bay Area, followed by a series of aftershocks.
A 4.2-magnitude earthquake struck Tuesday morning near Cobb, California, north of the San Francisco Bay Area, followed by a series of aftershocks. U.S. Geological Survey

A 2.5-magnitude earthquake in Georgia shook an Atlanta-area community late Sunday, Sept. 11, according to seismologists.

The temblor struck about 9 miles northeast of Jackson near Butts and Jasper counties at 9:20 p.m., the U.S. Geological Survey said. It was about 3 miles deep, according to seismologists.

Several people, some as far away as Riverdale, reported feeling it. There were more than 40 reports of the overnight quake as of Monday, Sept. 12.

“the whole house shook last night and i thought maybe something big fell but no it was an EARTHQUAKE in GEORGIA,” one person wrote on Twitter. “i have literally never felt an earthquake in my entire life.”

No injuries were reported.

Magnitude measures the energy released at the source of the earthquake and is used in place of the old Richter scale, the agency said.

Quakes between 2.5 and 5.4 magnitude are often felt but rarely cause much damage, according to Michigan Tech. Quakes below 2.5 magnitude are seldom felt by most people.

Jackson is about 50 miles southeast of downtown Atlanta.

A 2.5 magnitude earthquake was reported near Jackson, Georgia in Butts County late Sunday, Sept. 11, geologists say.
A 2.5 magnitude earthquake was reported near Jackson, Georgia in Butts County late Sunday, Sept. 11, geologists say. Photo by U.S. Geological Survey

This story was originally published September 12, 2022 at 9:09 AM.

Tanasia Kenney
Sun Herald
Tanasia is a service journalism reporter at the Charlotte Observer | CharlotteFive, working remotely from Atlanta, Georgia. She covers restaurant openings/closings in Charlotte and statewide explainers for the NC Service Journalism team. She’s been with McClatchy since 2020.
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