4.3 magnitude earthquake reported in Eastern Kentucky
November 10, 2012
A 4.3 magnitude earthquake was reported at 12:08 p.m. Saturday in Eastern Kentucky.
The earthquake’s epicenter was about 8 miles west of Whitesburg, Ky., and 46 miles north northwest of Kingsport, Tenn., said John Bellini, geophysicist with the U.S. Geological Survey.
He said the earthquake was felt as far north as Columbus, Ohio, almost as far south as Atlanta, across parts of Central Kentucky and the Kentucky-Indiana state line, and in parts of Virginia and North Carolina. See a map showing where it was felt here.
“It’s uncommon to see earthquakes of this size but it’s not unlikely for it to happen,” Bellini said. “They do get large ones from time to time” in this area.
He said a 3.1 magnitude earthquake occurred within 100 miles of this one in December 2011. In 1995, a 4.0 magnitude earthquake occurred within 10 miles of the area.
A UK news release said there have been no reports of significant damages, other than items falling off shelves or walls.