M 5.1 Earthquake North Carolina
A M 5.1 earthquake struck south-east of Sparta, North Carolina this morning. While relatively minor, the shaking was felt over a widespread area, from Augusta, Georgia in the south, and north to Staunton, Virginia.
The USGS has categorized this event as a mid-plate, or intraplate, earthquake, which are generally less common than the interplate earthquakes occuring near tectonic plate boundaries. While large earthquakes are rare in the North Carolina – Virginia region, aftershocks are expected and the USGS noted that several foreshocks took place before today’s event.
This earthquake was preceded by at least four small foreshocks ranging from M 2.1-2.6, beginning about 25 hours prior to the mainshock.
USGS Executive Summary, August 9, 2020
Assessing the impact
EigenPrism users can access the following quick link to immediately overlay the event footprint on their exposure:
- M 5.1 Earthquake – North Carolina, 08-05-2020
EigenAlerts provide automated notifications via email and text message with key metrics to estimate impact:
- Customized and mobile enabled
- Updated as forecasts and advisories change
Don’t have access to EigenPrism?
Sign up for a trial account and access full impact reports of all events. Contact us and we’ll set up a trial account for you.
More on event news:
- ISAIAS POST-EVENT IMPACT SUMMARY
- ISAIAS LANDFALL IN NORTH CAROLINA
- TROPICAL STORM ISAIAS
- HURRICANE HANNA
- HURRICANE DOUGLAS AND TS GONZALO
- M 7.8 EARTHQUAKE IN ALASKA
- TROPICAL STORM FAY MOVING INTO NEW JERSEY, NEW YORK
- COVID-19 FORECAST– (COVID-19 data now available monthly.)
