A small earthquake was reported Friday morning along the North Carolina-South Carolina border. The United States Geological Survey reports the 2.1 magnitude quake was centered about 0.7 miles from Pineville, North Carolina. That’s about six miles from Fort Mill, South Carolina and about 10 miles from Charlotte, North Carolina. The agency has a "Did you feel it?" survey on their website that will collect data from people who say they felt the shaking.

It’s not the biggest earthquake that the region has had in a while. That distinction goes to a 5.1-magnitude quake that rattled Sparta in Alleghany County on August 9, 2020. That was the largest earthquake to shake the Carolinas since 1886.

In that event, strong to very strong shaking affected the greater Charleston area and caused minor damage in some structures.

Earthquakes are fairly common in the mountains of Western North Carolina. But it’s important to note that the likelihood of a damaging quake in a given location is affected by more than just the magnitude of the quake.

For instance, the 2.7-magnitude quake that hit Hendersonville Wednesday night had an epicenter about 22 miles away from Asheville. The tremors were strong enough that many residents in the area could feel them, and they even heard a loud rumbling noise that shook their homes. One Laurel Park resident told WXII she thought her husband had fallen when they heard a boom and felt the house shake.