5.1 Magnitude Earthquake Hits North Carolina, Felt in Surrounding States

Various items litter the floor of the 4 Brothers Store after an earthquake shook in Sparta, N.C., on Aug. 9, 2020. Michael Hull via AP

A 5.1 magnitude earthquake shook parts of North Carolina and several other states in the southeastern United States on Aug. 9, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).

The National Weather Service, citing the USGS, wrote that the “5.1 magnitude earthquake near Sparta, NC, this morning is the second strongest earthquake to occur in NC since 1900.”