Small Earthquake Recorded Wednesday Night In Georgia

SPARTA, GA — Not only was Georgia hammered by waves of powerful thunderstorms that spawned numerous tornadoes and flooding, a 2.5 magnitude earthquake rattled Middle Georgia Wednesday night, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The temblor was registered shortly after 9:30 p.m. Wednesday with the epicenter located 6 kilometers west/southwest from Sparta, Georgia.

The USGS reports that 39 people in 17 zip codes felt the quake. No damage has been reported. Authorities say that Hancock County felt light shaking, while weak shaking was noted in Baldwin, Putnam, Morgan, Greene and Washington counties. Some shaking also was noted closer to Augusta, reports the Macon Telegraph.

USGS officials said the earthquake was centered about 5 miles underground.

There have been 11 earthquakes in the past year in Georgia with magnitudes of 1.5 or greater, says WGCL TV, but this was the first temblor in at least a year reported in this part of Georgia. Two other 1.8 magnitude area quakes were reported in Ringgold and Eatonton about 2 years ago.

Most of Georgia's earthquakes happen west of the Blue Ridge Mountains on the Appalachian Plateau, which is bound by two fault lines the Carter's Dam Fault and the Emerson Fault.

PHOTO: Shutterstock; map from USGS