CHARLESTON COUNTY, S.C. (WCBD) – 140 years ago today, on August 31, 1886, South Carolina experienced the largest earthquake ever recorded along the U.S. East Coast, according to the South Carolina Emergency Management Division (SCEMD).
“The 1886 Charleston Earthquake was felt as far away as Chicago and Cuba, with its epicenter near Summerville,” the division said.
Charleston County Emergency Management said that while we are in the middle of hurricane season, earthquake season runs year-round, and earthquakes are no stranger to Charleston County.
The SCEMD says South Carolina is one of the most seismically active states in the region and unlike some disasters, earthquakes cannot be predicted, and usually, there is no time to evacuate…