When people think of Coastal South Carolina natural occurrences they usually think of hurricanes; high winds, pelting rain, and huge swells on the beach. People do not usually think of earthquakes. However, Charleston and some of the adjacent counties have a history of earthquakes going back to the late 1800’s.
A majority of South Carolina earthquakes occur in the Coastal Plain.
It is unclear though what causes earthquakes in South Carolina, because earthquakes in the Palmetto State occur within a plate rather than at the edges. These earthquakes may be caused by rocks that are very broken or faulted under the plates.
Whatever the cause, there have been notable earthquakes in the Coastal Plain area. The most notable of these earthquakes was the Charleston, S.C. earthquake of 1886, the most damaging earthquake in the eastern United States. It was a magnitude 7.3 and was felt over 2.5 million square miles. The shock was felt as far away as Boston, Massachusetts to the north, Chicago, Illinois, and Milwaukee, Wisconsin to the northwest, New Orleans, Louisiana, to the west and across water to Cuba to the south, and Bermuda to the east. It was so severe that Charleston residents thought it was a worldwide event and were surprised the earthquake occurred only in their area. People also thought maybe the Florida peninsula had separated from North America.
Many of Charleston buildings serious damage with some having to be torn down and rebuilt. The buildings sustaining the most serious damage were commercial building. Other structures received damage as well. Wires were severed, railroad tracks were snapped causing derailments, dams broke causing flooding, and the ground liquified in many spots causing even more damage. All told the earthquake caused $5-6 million in damages.
60 peoples lost their lives.
It is for these reasons the South Carolina Emergency Management Division wants everyone in South Carolina to be prepared for earthquakes. The #GreatShakeOut is a program to promote awareness and safety procedures for earthquakes. The Great Shake Out, the world’s largest earthquake drill, took place August 19.
