A 4.4 magnitude earthquake was felt across East Tennessee and into parts of Georgia and North Carolina on Wednesday morning, the United States Geological Survey said, along with three aftershocks.
The earthquake happened around 4:15 a.m. and had a depth of about 9 kilometers with an epicenter several miles outside of Decatur, Tennessee, the USGS said on its website.
It was the second strongest earthquake on record in East Tennessee. The strongest was a 4.7 near Maryville in 1973, the National Weather Service in Morristown tweeted.
People from across Tennessee, North Carolina and Georgia reported feeling the first earthquake, according to USGS, with a 'V' level of intensity on its ShakeMap and a 'VI' level of intensity on its 'Did You Feel It?' page, a community internet intensity map on USGS's website.
The first aftershock was about 15 minutes later, with an epicenter in the same location. It was a 3.3 magnitude quake and had a depth of about 6.8 kilometers, USGS said.
The second aftershock was 30 minutes or so after the first, with a 1.3 magnitude and depth of 5 kilometers, while the third, a 1.4 magnitude, was a little bit before 5:45 a.m. and also 5 kilometers in depth, according to USGS.
There were no injuries or reports of damage from the quake or its aftershocks.
It did not damage any Tennessee Valley Authority facilities, TVA said in a tweet, including the Watts Bar Nuclear Plant, which is located near the two epicenters.
People from across Tennessee, North Carolina and Georgia reported feeling the earthquake, according to USGS, with a 'V' level of intensity on its ShakeMap and a 'VI' level of intensity on its 'Did You Feel It?' page, a community internet intensity map on USGS's website.
Many were reacting on social media, too.
