WEST JEFFERSON, N.C. (WNCN) — A small earthquake shook parts of the North Carolina mountains near the Virginia border Saturday morning, according to officials.
The 1.8 magnitude quake hit just before 4:10 a.m. northeast of Boone in Watauga County and was felt more than 16 miles away, the United States Geological Survey reported.
The quake hit closest to West Jefferson, where it struck six miles north/northwest, the agency said.
A report from nearby classified the intensity of the earthquake as weak, according to the geological survey.
Four stations were able to track the quake as it happened.
The earthquake had a depth of 2.3 miles.
The quake hit less than 30 miles from Sparta, where a 5.1 magnitude event shook the town and caused widespread damage on Aug. 9, 2020.
The Town of Sparta had received more than 500 reports of damage, and about 60 of these cases have been categorized as “major damage,” meaning they lost 40 percent or more in value.
Other smaller earthquakes shook the town for months later.
The 5.1 magnitude earthquake in Sparta was the strongest earthquake to happen in North Carolina since 1916.
