QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 1.7md

Earthquake near Rock Hill, SC

No earthquake was likely felt in Rock Hill in the 24 hours to 3:33 pm EST (20:33 UTC). The last one was M 2.2, 26 km (16 mi) ESE, at 3:34 am EDT on 1 May 2025, estimated intensity II (weak) in town; 14 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near Rock Hill

This page: a magnitude 1.7 earthquake was recorded 49 km (31 mi) south-southwest of Rock Hill, SC, at 6:24 am EDT on 21 April 2026 (10:24 UTC), 1.8 km deep.

USGS: 19 km S of Gayle Mill, South Carolina

85 km (53 mi) SSW of Charlotte, NC · 51 km (31 mi) SSW of Rock Hill, SC

6:24 am EDT, Apr 21, 2026 · · 1.8 km deep · released about 9.6 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Fairfield County 18 kmChester County 20 kmUnion County 39 kmNewberry County 41 kmYork County 50 kmLancaster County 53 kmRichland County 64 kmKershaw County 64 kmCherokee County 67 km
Distance rings around the epicentre, with the nearest towns at their true direction and later quakes as coloured dots. Not a shaking map — see the USGS ShakeMap for that.
When
6:24 am EDT on 21 April 2026 ()
Where
49 km (31 mi) south-southwest of Rock Hill, SC · earthquakes near Rock Hill
South Carolina today
every earthquake in South Carolina in the last 24 hours
Magnitude
M 1.7 (md)
Depth
1.8 km below the surface
Felt
no reports yet
Nearest
Fairfield County, 18 km SE
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 204 days ago

This was a minor earthquake. Quakes this small are rarely felt and do not cause damage.

At this magnitude and depth, people at rest would likely notice it out to about 11 km (7 mi) from the epicentre. In Rock Hill, 49 km away, the estimate is intensity I (not felt). Estimated from magnitude, depth and distance with the intensity equation USGS Did You Feel It? uses; felt reports, where there are any, are the measurement.

Earthquakes near other towns within 30 km: Chester, Winnsboro, Eureka Mill, Winnsboro Mills.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 9.6 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 2.7 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 1,600,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 1,100,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 99× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 1.7 about 9.6 lb of TNT

Energy from the Gutenberg–Richter relation (log10E = 1.5M + 4.8), rounded to two figures; bar length is magnitude, which is already a logarithm of energy. Magnitudes of past earthquakes from the USGS catalogue.

For this area

No earthquake of M4 or more has been recorded within 50 km since our catalogue begins in 2016.

Before 2016, the USGS record since 1900 lists no earthquake of M5 or more within 50 km.

Since 2016: the QuakeIndex catalogue (US, M1.5+), built from the USGS FDSN event service. Before 2016: USGS ComCat, M5+ from 1900. Distances are between epicentres. This is the record, not a forecast.

Where

Epicentre 34.5228, -81.2473. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Fairfield County, SC 18 km (11 mi) SE earthquakes near Fairfield County
Chester County, SC 20 km (13 mi) NNE earthquakes near Chester County
Union County, SC 39 km (24 mi) WNW earthquakes near Union County
Newberry County, SC 41 km (26 mi) SW earthquakes near Newberry County
York County, SC 50 km (31 mi) N earthquakes near York County
Lancaster County, SC 53 km (33 mi) ENE earthquakes near Lancaster County

Places and coordinates from the US Census Bureau Gazetteer (2024). Distances are from the epicentre.

Aftershocks so far

8 earthquakes have been recorded within 50 km since this one.

  1. 1.6 9 km NNE of Jenkinsville, South Carolina
  2. 2.1 9 km E of Cross Anchor, South Carolina
  3. 1.9 19 km NW of Winnsboro, South Carolina
  4. 1.9 9 km E of Cross Anchor, South Carolina
  5. 1.8 8 km E of Cross Anchor, South Carolina
  6. 1.9 11 km N of Irmo, South Carolina
  7. 2.4 18 km NW of Winnsboro, South Carolina
  8. 2.3 17 km NW of Winnsboro, South Carolina

Counted from the QuakeIndex database, which ingests the USGS feed every 30 seconds · as of . QuakeIndex does not forecast aftershocks. When USGS issues an operational aftershock forecast it appears on the USGS event page.

On USGS

QuakeIndex does not issue warnings. For earthquake early warning see ShakeAlert.