Do you know how to tell an earth quake or what to do incase of one?People across Georgia were woken up by an earthquake. Residents in Tennessee and Georgia got a big surprise Wednesday morning.
The U.S. Geological Survey reported the quake happened around 4:15 a.m. near Decatur, Tennessee. It had a magnitude of 4.4. An aftershock of 3.3 magnitude happened about 15 minutes later.
Confused residents in the region took to social media, including Twitter, to confirm the earthquake.
People waking up in the earthquake like
#Earthquake pic.twitter.com/z7Bq6bGKoJ
— Cameron Grant (@coolghost101) December 12, 2018
Geophysicist Robert Sanders from the U.S. Geological Survey revealed that aftershocks would be possible throughout the day after the quake.
A live view of Atlanta currently #earthquake pic.twitter.com/onIbIQExVu
— Chance W. (@AmerICANDreamxo) December 12, 2018
There have been several small earthquakes in northwest Georgia over the past few years, including a 1.9 magnitude near Villanow, in Walker County, in August.
Everyone in Atlanta and Tennessee that moved from Los Angeles. pic.twitter.com/GlPXNYUFuf
— Jes (@DoYouEvenLIf) December 12, 2018
A 2.7 quake was reported in Catoosa County, near Fort Oglethorpe, in January, and a 2.3 hit Trion, in Chattooga County, in November 2017. In July 2017, a 2.2 quake was registered just north of LaFayette in Walker County.
I just learned that I have absolutely NO IDEA about how to be safe during an #earthquake. I just stayed in bed, like a wide eyed idiot. Is this supposed to happen in #atlanta?!?
— charlotte sale (@thefrywhisperer) December 12, 2018
I just realized I have no idea what to do during an #earthquake besides standing there like whoaaa pic.twitter.com/diFAi00l53
— MR O’ (@CoverMeimGoinN) December 12, 2018
According to the USGS, the Eastern Tennessee seismic zone is one of the most active earthquake areas in the Southeast. The zone extends across Tennessee and northwestern Georgia into northeastern Alabama.
#earthquake had me like pic.twitter.com/abBqxlXOfc
— Raven Ellis (@ravenluvsmusic) December 12, 2018
My whole house just shook enough to wake me. Either Santa has adopted the early-voting model or there was a small #earthquake in North Georgia.
— Victor Blackwell CNN (@VictorBlackwell) December 12, 2018
The earthquake was the second strongest on record in East Tennessee, according to the USGS. The strongest was a magnitude 4.7 near Maryville in 1973.
BREAKING: Magnitude 4.4 #earthquake strongest in east Tennessee in 45 years, widely felt in Southeast, including #Atlanta metro. https://t.co/Nbn5oxxhzJ pic.twitter.com/R4Tsm8ll9y
— The Weather Channel (@weatherchannel) December 12, 2018