The strongest earthquake to hit North Carolina in over a century struck around 8AM on Sunday. The Charlotte Observer reports that the earthquake was a 5.1 magnitude tremor that hit a mile south of Sparta, near the Virginia border. Sparta is a small town of about 1,800 people that is 100 miles north of Charlotte. The quake was felt in Charlotte and as far as Georgia.
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The earthquake was about 2.2 miles deep, officials stated. There have been no reports of injuries or massive damage, although many social media pictures do show cracked streets and broken belongings. According to the National Weather Service, the quake was the strongest in the state since 1916. At that time, a 5.2 magnitude earthquake shook the land near Skyland, near Asheville. The rareness of the quake was a reminder of how wild 2020 has been. Several social media accounts pointed out this weird fact, and also made light of the occurrence in other ways. "North Carolina never had earthquakes when Cam Newton was the QB of the Carolina Panthers," one person tweeted. "All in one week North Carolina has been hit by an earthquake, hurricane, and tornado while a pandemic is sweeping the state," observed another.
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