5.1 magnitude earthquake reported near North Carolina-Virginia border
A 5.1 magnitude earthquake struck near the border between North Carolina and Virginia on Sunday morning.
The earthquake was reported near Sparta, North Carolina, at 8:07 a.m., according to the USGS.
There are no reports of damage or injuries. The tremors were felt from Virginia to South Carolina.
The quake is the strongest the area has seen in over 100 years. The largest earthquake in the area (magnitude 5.1) occurred in 1916, according to the USGS.
There were several smaller earthquakes in the area in the hours leading up to the main quake Sunday morning, officials said.
"It trembled our house. And then it shook our bed. And we was like, What in the world was that?" Charlotte, North Carolina, resident Nisha Thomas told ABC affiliate WSOC. "I didn't know what it was. Honestly, I don't even know if it was earthquake or not. I experienced earthquakes little kid back in California, but I didn't know if that was an earthquake or not. It really startled me."
"To me, I thought, like, I didn't even know that earthquakes actually exist in North Carolina because I'm from California. And I didn't even know that they exist. So I was really startled," Thomas told the station.
Aftershocks are possible in the region following the initial quake the USGS said.
