A magnitude 2.5 earthquake struck the Jackson area Thursday morning, hours before families sat down to Thanksgiving meal, sparking questions about whether earthquakes ever occur in South Mississippi.
The Thanksgiving earthquake was relatively small, with no damage reported.
According to the US Geological Survey, the earthquake began at 1:48 a.m. It was 12 kilometers (7.5 miles) from Canton, which is northeast of Jackson. The depth was 5 km.
The earthquake was concentrated on the north side of the Ross Barnett Reservoir, according to the Clarion Ledger.
On Thanksgiving, small earthquakes were reported in Virginia, Arkansas, and Tennessee.
The United States Geological Survey classifies Mississippi as less prone to experience earthquakes, yet they do occur.
Here are a Few of the Most Noteworthy:
▪ A magnitude 2.9 earthquake occurred 49 years ago, six miles from Saucier. It struck on September 9, 1975, and had a depth of 5 kilometers, similar to the Thanksgiving Day earthquake.
An unusual undersea earthquake in the Gulf of Mexico happened on June 4, 2023, approximately 130 miles southeast of Gulfport. The 3.3-magnitude quake struck the continental shelf at about 11:15 p.m., according to data from the United States Geological Survey.
The first earthquake in Mississippi occurred on September 11, 1853, and according to the Mississippi Encyclopedia, it “shook houses and alarmed inhabitants of Biloxi.”
▪ The most recent earthquake was a magnitude 2.1 in Collins, southeast of Jackson, on January 20, 2021.
Mississippi’s strongest earthquake occurred on December 16, 1931, in the Batesville-Charleston region, south of Memphis. The magnitude was reported to be 4.7, and it was felt in northern Mississippi as well as sections of Alabama, Arkansas, and Tennessee.
▪ Quitman, a community south of Meridian, has experienced five earthquakes since 1931.
▪ Two earthquakes were felt along Alabama’s border. On May 4, 1977, a magnitude 3.6 earthquake struck 13 miles from Butler. On July 16, 1993, a 3.7 magnitude earthquake struck 18 miles near Waynesboro.
▪ Flomaton, Alabama, northeast of Mobile, experienced three quakes within 10 miles: a category 3.7 on October 26, 1997, a category 3.8 on September 3, 2020, and a category 4.8 on October 24, 1997.
On February 18, 2011, a magnitude 3.5 earthquake occurred near Dauphin Island, Alabama, demonstrating the potential for earthquakes in the northern Gulf Coast. More than 154 people said they felt the shake.