NEWS

Minor earthquake rattles Madison County

Dale Neal
Asheville

MARSHALL – A small earthquake rattled residents in northern Madison County Saturday, but no damage was reported, the Madison County Sheriff’s Department said.

The U.S. Geological Survey recorded the earthquake at a 2.4 magnitude on the Richter scale. The quake happened shortly after 8:30 p.m. in the Wolf Laurel area, and could be felt in neighboring counties, including Unicoi County, Tennessee.

An earthquake also shook Middle Tennessee Saturday afternoon. The U.S. Geological Survey recorded a magnitude 2.5 earthquake north of Grimsley, Tennessee in Fentress County.

Small earthquakes are not unusual in Western North Carolina or most states.

Blowing Rock in Watauga County experienced a 2.4 magnitude quake in August.

Earthquakes typically have to be in the 5.0 magnitude range to cause damage to buildings and infrastructure near the epicenter, according to Don Blakeman, a geophysicist with USGS's National Earthquake Information Center in Golden, Colorado .

In the Asheville area, 2012 was particularly active, with four small earthquakes ranging in magnitude from 1.7 to 2.9 — two in Macon County, one in Madison and one in McDowell. No damage was reported in any of the quakes.

The Asheville area got a noticeable shaking in August 2011 when a 5.9 magnitude earthquake centered near Richmond, Virginia, sent shock waves through much of the East Coast.