An earthquake with a 4.3 magnitude hit 8 miles west of Whitesburg today at 12:08 p.m. according to the United State Geological Survey.
John Bellini, Geophysicist with the USGS, said they have received about 3,000 reports for this earthquake.
He said the reports were given as far north as Columbus, Ohio and down to Atlanta, Georgia. People in West Virginia, North Carolina and Tennessee also reported feeling the earthquake.
Since 1976, there have been at least 30 earthquakes over the magnitude of 2.7 within a 40-50 mile distance of today’s earthquake, according to Bellini. At least five of those earthquakes were at a 4.0 magnitude or higher.
“Although they’re uncommon, they do happen,” Bellini said.
The USGS says the most recent earthquakes that happened within 40 miles of today’s quake happened in November of 2006. Both had a 4.3 magnitude.
“Historically anywhere there’s been an earthquake in the past, they can and will happen again in the future,” Bellini said. “Predicting them of course, we cannot do.”
