4.1 Magnitude Earthquake Shakes East Tennessee

A 4.1 magnitude earthquake struck near the Tennessee-North Carolina border Saturday morning, with tremors felt across multiple states in the Southeast region, according to the United States Geological Survey.

The seismic event, which occurred around 9 a.m., prompted thousands of reports from residents and temporarily closed a portion of a national park roadway for safety inspections.

Widespread Impact Across Multiple States

The earthquake’s epicenter was located approximately 20 kilometers southeast of Greenback, Tennessee, about 30 miles south of Knoxville. Its effects were felt well beyond the immediate area, according to CNN.

Residents reported feeling the quake as far away as Atlanta, Georgia; Asheville, North Carolina; and Greenville, South Carolina. USGS spokeswoman Ayesha Davis noted that over 30,000 reports were submitted by the public within the first hour of the event.

“Because of the geology in the eastern US, seismic waves spread more efficiently than they do in the western part of the country,” Davis explained, which is why earthquakes in this region are felt over much larger distances.

Infrastructure Assessment Underway

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park announced that a portion of Foothills Parkway West was shut down following the earthquake and will remain closed until inspections by the Federal Highway Administration are completed, according to Fox 8 Live.

Tennessee Department of Transportation’s Mark Nagi reported no immediate damage to roads, but stated that bridge inspections would continue throughout the next few weeks as a precautionary measure.

Rural Metro Fire’s Jeff Bagwell reported a brief gas leak in West Knox County that was attributed to the earthquake, though it appears to be the only significant infrastructure issue reported so far.

Historical Context for Regional Seismic Activity

The earthquake marks the strongest to hit East Tennessee since 2018, according to the USGS. The region sits within the Eastern Tennessee Seismic Zone, one of the most active earthquake areas in the Southeast, extending across parts of Tennessee, Georgia, and Alabama.

In December 2018, a similar event occurred when a 4.4 magnitude earthquake centered in Decatur, Tennessee shook homes as far away as Atlanta, followed by a 3.0 magnitude aftershock days later near Knoxville, as reported by ABC News.

According to the USGS, there is approximately a 5% chance of a magnitude 4 or larger aftershock occurring in the next week.

Understanding Earthquake Measurements

The USGS initially reported Saturday’s event as a 3.5 magnitude earthquake before updating it to 4.1. The approximately 15-mile-deep quake was classified as “mild” but was widely felt due to the region’s geology.

On the Richter scale, a 4.1 magnitude earthquake is considered “light” and typically causes minimal damage, though it can be strongly felt near the epicenter, especially with shallow-depth events like this one.

Blount County Emergency Management Agency Director Lance Coleman confirmed there were no injuries or significant damage reported across the county, though emergency services received numerous calls from concerned residents.