Yes, Atlanta, that was an earthquake - likely one of the strongest we’ve experienced.
Residents from across the metro area jolted awake may have wondered if they were imagining things, but the magnitude 4.4 event was real. The U.S. Geological Survey reported that it emanated from east Tennessee, where it was the second-strongest on record, at about 4:15 a.m.
» MORE: Why Atlanta felt an earthquake that struck in Tennessee
M5.1 #earthquake (#sismo) strikes 83 km SW of #Knoxville (#Tennessee) 23 min ago. Updated map of its effects: pic.twitter.com/0L6ChcfiRc
— EMSC (@LastQuake) December 12, 2018
The highest magnitude earthquake previously recorded in Georgia since 1974 was a 4.3 magnitude event in Lincoln County. Whitfield County experienced a 4.2 magnitude temblor in 1984.
Georgia hadn’t broken 4.0 since then and hadn’t broken 3.0 since 2009 - until Wednesday morning. This map shows its reach:
SHAKING. 4.4 earthquake hit Tennessee. Here's a map from the USGS that shows where people could FEEL it. As far south as LaGrange! @wsbtv #earthquake pic.twitter.com/cUSI9MdcVf
— Linda Stouffer (@LindaWSB) December 12, 2018
While we might not think of Georgia as quake country, the ground does shake now and then. More than three dozen earthquakes of magnitude 2.5 or greater have occurred in Georgia since 1974, according to an Atlanta Journal-Constitution analysis of data from the U.S. Geological Survey.
Information compiled by AJC data journalist Jennifer Peebles found 40 earthquakes with center points inside Georgia's boundaries. The counties with the most quakes since 1974 were Walker and Whitfield in northwest Georgia, with six each, followed by Lincoln and Hancock, with five each.
Naturally, people immediately took to social media after being shaken out of their slumber on Wednesday. The Atlanta Braves won the Internet with their response:
We knew that @ronaldacunajr24 home run ball would land eventually...
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) December 12, 2018
Sorry to wake you guys up! ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ https://t.co/qxeLhVbfWG
And here’s what other folks had to say:
Thank you Twitter for confirming I’m not crazy- Atlanta just felt a small #earthquake. At first I thought it was a nightmare, but it kept going after I was awake!😬 pic.twitter.com/gWqEizJ2Pv
— Kellye Crane (@KellyeCrane) December 12, 2018
Well that confirms it, @TheRock is filming the sequel to San Andreas here in Georgia, but not sure why they had to do that scene in the middle of the night. #earthquake
— DadsBucketList (@DadsBucketList) December 12, 2018
I'm so glad Twitter exists so I could confirm that we just had an earthquake and it wasn't me just losing my mind here in suburban Atlanta #earthquake
— Rachel Rothstein (@rachroth1229) December 12, 2018
#earthquake
— Jes (@DoYouEvenLIf) December 12, 2018
Everyone in Atlanta and Tennessee that moved from Los Angeles. pic.twitter.com/GlPXNYUFuf
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