2020 has brought us a deadly pandemic, a devastating hurricane, tornados, shocking examples of police brutality ... so really, how surprising is a big earthquake in North Carolina?
A 5.1 quake rocked Sparta, NC Sunday, just after 8 AM. The epicenter is near the Virginia border and was felt in South Carolina and Georgia.
It's the biggest earthquake to hit the area in more than 100 years.
Check out the video ... the beauty salon surveillance video shows the force of the quake as items all around sway back and forth.
The Mayor of Sparta said the quake was so loud it sounded like a train roaring down the track.
Our first look at damage near the epicenter of Sparta, North Carolina after this morning’s 5.1 magnitude #earthquake that was felt in our area. pic.twitter.com/LZOCNnQvMu
— John Hart (@JohnHartWJBF) August 9, 2020
Fortunately, no injuries and only minor damage, but the shaking was real.
A 5.1 is a big quake, but typically significant damage usually occurs when a quake is in the 6's or higher. Of course, depending on the way buildings were constructed ... a 5.1 could do serious damage ... though not the case here.
What could possibly be next?