QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.1md

Earthquake near Calhoun Falls, SC

No earthquake was likely felt in Calhoun Falls in the 24 hours to 3:43 pm EST (20:43 UTC). The last one was M 2.1, 5 km (3 mi) NNE, at 9:47 pm EDT on 15 May 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town; 2 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near Calhoun Falls

This page: a magnitude 2.1 earthquake was recorded 5 km (3 mi) north-northeast of Calhoun Falls, SC, at 9:47 pm EDT on 15 May 2026 (01:47 UTC), 2.1 km deep. 2 people have reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 5 km NNE of Calhoun Falls, South Carolina

97 km (60 mi) NNW of Augusta-Richmond County, GA

9:47 pm EDT, May 15, 2026 · · 2.1 km deep · released about 46 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Abbeville County 15 kmElbert County 25 kmMcCormick County 36 kmLincoln County 40 kmGreenwood County 41 kmWilkes County 43 kmHart County 43 kmAnderson County 43 kmOglethorpe County 55 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
9:47 pm EDT on 15 May 2026 ()
Where
5 km (3 mi) north-northeast of Calhoun Falls, SC · earthquakes near Calhoun Falls
South Carolina today
every earthquake in South Carolina in the last 24 hours
Magnitude
M 2.1 (md)
Depth
2.1 km below the surface
Felt
2 reports · strongest reported intensity II
Nearest
Abbeville County, 15 km NE
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 109 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 29 km (18 mi) from the epicentre. In Calhoun Falls, 5 km away, the estimate is intensity II (weak). 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: Lake Secession, Abbeville, Iva, Elberton, Due West.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 46 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 3.1 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 330,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 230,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 21× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.1 about 46 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 34.1350, -82.5738. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Abbeville County, SC 15 km (9 mi) NE earthquakes near Abbeville County
Elbert County, GA 25 km (15 mi) W earthquakes near Elbert County
McCormick County, SC 36 km (22 mi) SE earthquakes near McCormick County
Lincoln County, GA 40 km (25 mi) SSE earthquakes near Lincoln County
Greenwood County, SC 41 km (26 mi) E earthquakes near Greenwood County
Wilkes County, GA 43 km (27 mi) SSW earthquakes near Wilkes County

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

Aftershocks so far

1 earthquake has been recorded within 50 km since this one.

  1. 1.9 2 km WNW of McCormick, 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.