4.1-magnitude earthquake near Knoxville, Tennessee, felt in several states
Shaking from a 4.1-magnitude earthquake that hit east Tennessee the morning of May 10 was felt in parts of several states across the Southeast, federal data shows.
The quake struck near Greenback, which is about 30 miles southwest of Knoxville, at 9:04 a.m.
Reports of light shaking came in from the Knoxville area and parts of the Carolinas, Alabama, Kentucky, Georgia and Virginia, according to early data from the U.S. Geological Survey.
The Michigan Technological University says an earthquake of this magnitude is "often felt, but only causes minor damage."
The Knoxville Fire Department did not receive any reports of damage, spokesman Mark Wilbanks said, nor did the Knoxville Police Department, according to the Knoxville News Sentinel, part of the Paste BN Network.
Quakes in Tennessee aren't unusual, but they are usually minor. In the past 30 days, Tennessee has recorded 21 earthquakes of lesser magnitudes. In the past year in Tennessee, there were only three others that exceeded a magnitude of 3.0, according to USGS data.
Did you feel that quake?
If you felt shaking, you can report it to the USGS, which tracks how much impact the quake had on the region.
Here's the impact earthquakes usually have based on their magnitude, according to Michigan Technological University:
- Below 2.5: Generally not felt
- 2.5 to 5.4: Minor or no damage
- 5.5 to 6.0: Slight damage to buildings
- 6.1 to 6.9: Serious damage
- 8.0 or greater: Massive damage, can destroy communities
Contributing: Mike Wilson, Knoxville News Sentinel
This story was updated to add earthquake shake area map.