Daniel Prince
Apr 5, 2023
Magnitude 1.6 earthquake was first in Union County since 2018
You most likely didn’t feel it, but the first earthquake of the year in the Upstate had its epicenter in Union County Tuesday morning. The magnitude 1.6 earthquake struck at 2:40 a.m. and was located by the United States Geological Survey as 7 km, or 4.35 miles, ENE of Cross Anchor. The coordinates show the epicenter north and west of Highway 49 near the northern end of Terrapin Road, south of the Tyger River. The earthquake was estimated at a depth of 11.4 km, or 7.1 miles. Earthquakes smaller than magnitude 2.5 typically aren’t felt, but they are recorded by seismograph. The last earthquake with an epicenter in Union County took place on February 17, 2018, as a 2.3 magnitude earthquake was reported 3 km (1.86 miles) ENE of Monarch Mill, east of Happy Valley Road and south of Big Browns Creek. Since the beginning of 2022, 84 earthquakes have hit South Carolina, mostly centered in the Midlands.