An earthquake was recorded early Sunday morning in a part of South Carolina where no tremors had been previously recorded this year.
The State newspaper reports a 1.6 magnitude earthquake hit the Upstate area near Salem in Oconee County, according to the South Carolina Emergency Management Division. It was the first confirmed earthquake of 2025 recorded in South Carolina’s Upstate. The last earthquake to hit the Palmetto State was a 2.0 quake that was reported near Elgin in the Midlands on Jan. 31.
There were 30 confirmed earthquakes last year in South Carolina, after 28 quakes were recorded in 2023.
It has been uncommon for earthquakes to hit outside of the Midlands area of South Carolina, specifically beyond Kershaw County, where 65 earthquakes have been confirmed since the end of June 2022.