Expert: Virginia Earthquake a Reminder of S.C.'s Risk

The 5.8 magnitude earthquake that struck Virginia on Tuesday is a reminder that South Carolina is at risk for earthquakes, according to a University of South Carolina professor and seismologist. 

"It's just a wake up call to the fact that we are in an area where we have susceptibility to earthquakes," said Tom Owens, professor of earth and ocean sciences at USC Columbia.

"We have hazards in Charleston and other, lesser hazards in other parts of the state."

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"I didn't feel it," Owens said. "I was walking down the hall at the time. But there were people across the hall who said they felt it." 

The epicenter of the earthquake was near Louisa, Va., northwest of Richmond.

Although earthquakes along the east coast are less frequent than on the west coast, they are typically felt over a larger area, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

"In the eastern U.S., stresses that develop, develop much more slowly," Owens said, "but then, at some point — we don't know exactly why they initiate — but that energy releases." 

Owens said it's likely there will be aftershocks from the earthquake, but they'll be at least 1.2 to 1.5 units smaller than the magnitude of the earthquake. 

South Carolina most likely won't feel the aftershocks, Owens said, but the state is at risk for an earthquake of its own.

It's been 125 years since a 7.3 magnitude earthquake shook Charleston in 1886. It was the most damaging earthquake on the east coast, spreading over 2.5 million square miles. 

The recurrence rate for earthquakes in South Carolina is about 100 to 150 years, Owens said. 

"We're getting into a window when it wouldn't really surprise me to see another earthquake here in my lifetime."