Small earthquake rattles middle Ga. town
A small earthquake rattled a small middle Georgia town Sunday night.
No injuries or damage was reported, Washington County emergency management director Russell Riner told the AJC.
The 3.2 magnitude earthquake occurred near the small town of Deepstep and about 95 miles from Atlanta, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
Washington County Sheriff’s deputies were called to Deepstep around 7:30 p.m. for a report of a loud noise, Riner said.
“We got reports of vibration and noise,” he said. “People called in and said it sounded like a plane crash and the house shook.”
Deputies searched the area and were unable to find any damage.
About an hour later, the USGS reported an earthquake with a 3.2 magnitude on the Richter Scale about three miles west of Deepstep, Riner said.
About 130 people live in Deepstep, which is about 12 miles from Sandersville.
A dispatcher in the Washington County 911 center said she got dozens of calls from frightened residents about the ground shaking.
A 1.4 magnitude earthquake was also reported Saturday in Ridgely, Tenn., which is in the northwest corner of the state near the Missouri border.
In August, a 3.2 magnitude earthquake was reported in Ducktown, Tenn., which is about 55 miles east of Chattanooga. However, the small quake was felt in north Georgia and western North Carolina.
