Earthquake shakes Knoxville and puts all of Tennessee on alert: authorities’ instructions and consequences
People in Tennessee got a bit of a jolt this morning when an earthquake shook the ground. The US Geological Survey says it was of 4.1 magnitude.
Parts of the Southeast got a bit of a jolt on Saturday morning at 9:04 am ET when a 4.1 magnitude earthquake struck just south of Knoxville, Tennessee according to the US Geological Survey. The tremor rattled most of the state and was felt as far south as at least Atlanta.
The epicenter of the earthquake was near Greenback, Tennessee, roughly 30 miles southwest of Knoxville. The US Geological Survey says that it occurred at a depth of just over 13 miles (21 km), a relatively shallow earthquake.
Seventh earthquake in Tennessee 4.0 or greater
The US Geological Survey initially reported that it was a 3.5 magnitude quake before upgrading it later, making it the seventh 4.0 or greater earthquake since 1900. It was the first above 4.0 since 2018 when a 4.4 magnitude earthquake shook Decatur.
2024 began with a major #earthquake in Japan, could a similar thing happen here? Our updated National Seismic Hazard Model shows what parts of the U.S. could experience damaging earthquakes. What’s the #earthquake hazard where you live? https://t.co/JGt31QkxxU pic.twitter.com/MtE6SD6Gsu
— USGS (@USGS) January 16, 2024
According to the US Geological Survey’s National Seismic Hazard Model, the earthquake occurred in an area with the highest hazard for seismic activity. The area has a 25% to 50% chance of a damaging earthquake in the next 100 years.
Knox News reports that neither the Knoxville Fire Department nor Police Department received any reports of damage.
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