SPARTA, N.C. — The earth keeps shaking up in northwest North Carolina. Two small earthquakes happened yet again early Wednesday. This has been a common sight in recent years.
Where and when did they hit
According to the US Geological Survey, there were two earthquakes in northwest North Carolina Wednesday morning. The first happened after 1 am. This hit near Glade Valley not far from the Blue Ridge Parkway. It registered a 2.2 magnitude, hardly enough to be felt. Few reported feeling some minor shaking.
Some hours later, another shake happened. This was reported just across the Wilkes County line near Stone Mountain State Park and the Blue Ridge Parkway. It registered a 2.0 at 11:51am. Again, few reported feeling this one.
Don't forget "the big one"
Earthquakes have been common in and around the Sparta area since 2020. You'll remember the major 5.1 earthquake back in August of 2020 that shook the entire region and caused damage to homes and structures around the city. Dozens of aftershocks happened in the weeks and months following. Aftershocks can even happen years after a major earthquake as the Earth settles.
About 80 earthquakes 1.0 or greater have hit in the Sparta area since August of 2020 according to the USGS.
