1886 Charleston earthquake

1886 Charleston earthquake
Damage on Tradd Street
1886 Charleston earthquake is located in South Carolina
1886 Charleston earthquake
1886 Charleston earthquake is located in the United States
1886 Charleston earthquake
UTC time1886-09-01 02:51:00
USGS-ANSSComCat
Local dateAugust 31, 1886 (1886-08-31)
Local time21:51
Magnitude6.9–7.3 Mw[1]
Epicenter32°54′N 80°00′W / 32.9°N 80.0°W / 32.9; -80.0[2]
TypeUnknown
Areas affectedSouth Carolina,
United States
Total damage$5–6 million[2]
Max. intensityMMI X (Extreme)[2]
Casualties60 deaths[2]

The 1886 Charleston earthquake in South Carolina occurred about 9:50 p.m. local time August 31. It caused 60 deaths and $5–6 million ($186.51 million in 2023) in damage to 2,000 buildings in the Southeastern United States. It is one of the most powerful and damaging earthquakes to hit the East Coast of the United States.[3]

Scientists have classified it as an intraplate earthquake, and said that it had an estimated moment magnitude of 6.9–7.3 and a maximum Mercalli intensity of X (Extreme). Very little to no historical earthquake activity had occurred in this region, which is unusual for any seismic area.[3]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference Chapman was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ a b c d Cite error: The named reference Stover was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ a b Bollinger, G. A. (1972), "Historical and recent seismic activity in South Carolina", Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, 62 (3), Seismological Society of America: 851–864, Bibcode:1972BuSSA..62..851B, doi:10.1785/BSSA0620030851, S2CID 131932161