1886 Charleston earthquake

Earthquake in South Carolina, United States October 2026 October 2024 1886 Charleston earthquake yes Hillers, J.K. 13 - Wrecked brick house on Tradd Street, 1886.jpg Damage on Tradd Street South_Carolina#United States yes 32.9 -80.0 Bullseye1.png 50 top 290 center 1886-09-01 02:51:00 August 31, 1886 21:51 ushis251 6.9–7.3 Mw 32.9 -80.0 inline,title Unknown South Carolina, United States $5–6 million 10 60 deaths An earthquake struck Charleston, South Carolina, and surrounding areas about 9:50 p.m. local time on August 31, 1886. It caused 60 deaths and $5–6 million ($US 5.5 1886 2 million in US) in damage to 2,000 buildings in the Southeastern United States. It is one of the most powerful and damaging earthquakes to hit the East Coast of the United States. Scientists have classified it as an intraplate earthquake, and said that it had an estimated moment magnitude of 6.9–7.3 and a maximum Mercalli intensity of X (Extreme). Very little to no historical earthquake activity had occurred in this region, which sits on the Charleston seismic zone, which is unusual for any seismic area.Historical and recent seismic activity in South Carolina http://bssa.geoscienceworld.org/content/62/3/851.abstract G. A. Bollinger 1972 Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America Seismological Society of America 62 3 851–864 10.1785/BSSA0620030851 1972BuSSA..62..851B 131932161 subscription Earthquake With the epicenter just northwest of Charleston, South Carolina, the shock was felt as far away as Boston, Massachusetts, to the north, Chicago, Illinois, and Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to the northwest, New Orleans, Louisiana, to the west, and across water to Cuba to the south and Bermuda to the east.Charleston Quake, 1886 https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/states/events/1886_09_01.php United States Geological Survey August 28, 2017 https://web.archive.org/web/20161225120612/http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/states/events/1886_09_01.php December 25, 2016 dead The earthquake was so severe that outside the immediate area, there was speculation that the Florida peninsula had broken away from North America. There were at least 60 fatalities. The long roll deepened and spread into an awful roar, that seemed to pervade at once the troubled earth and the still air above and around. The tremor was now a rude, rapid quiver, that agitated the whole lofty, strong-walled building as though it were being shaken--shaken by the hand of an immeasurable power, with intent to tear its joints asunder and scatter its stones and bricks abroad, as a tree casts its over-ripened fruit before the breath of the gale. Carl McKinley "Chapter 1. The earthquake at Charleston" pg. 212 The Charleston earthquake of August 31, 1886 (1889)((50th Congress, 2nd Session)) 1889 H.Ex.Doc. 50-1 – Report of the Secretary of the Interior, Volume IV: being part of the message and documents communicated to the two houses of Congress at the beginning of the ... session of the ... Congress https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/SERIALSET-02639_00_00-002-0001-0005 12 June 2023 June 12, 2023 https://web.archive.org/web/20230612174910/https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/SERIALSET-02639_00_00-002-0001-0005 live Sand boils were common throughout the affected area due to soil liquefaction. Aftershocks continued to be felt for weeks after the event.Lessions Learned from the Charleston Quake http://www.sfmuseum.org/1906.2/charleston.html Paul Pickney 1906 March 30, 2014 November 21, 2014 https://web.archive.org/web/20141121142736/http://www.sfmuseum.org/1906.2/charleston.html live Minor earthquake activity that still continues in the area in the early 21st century may be a continuation of aftershocks.2023 Modern earthquakes in US could be aftershocks from quakes in the 1800s, scientists say https://www.cnn.com/2023/12/04/world/earthquake-century-old-aftershocks-us-scn/index.html December 4, 2023 December 5, 2023 https://web.archive.org/web/20231205004655/https://www.cnn.com/2023/12/04/world/earthquake-century-old-aftershocks-us-scn/index.html live With the development of earthquake studies and technology, this event has been extensively studied as an example of an intraplate earthquake. It is believed to have occurred on faults formed during the break-up of Pangaea. Similar faults are found all along the east coast of North America. It is thought that such ancient faults remain active from forces exerted on them by present-day motions of the North American plate. The exact mechanisms of intraplate earthquakes are a subject of much ongoing research. Roger Bilham and Susan Hough studied historical mapping projects published between 1884 and 1919 and discovered a 1 m uplift at Summerville along the South Carolina Railroad. Photographic evidence of the South Carolina Railroad southeast of Summerville also showed a right-lateral offset of 4.5 ± 0.3 m on the track. Direct observation of the earthquake's effects also reported the rail bed being "forced to the right", supporting the identification of this offset. This offset occurred at the location of the Summerville Fault; the fault's position also aligns itself with the results of seismic reflection surveys. Seismicity of the area supports a north-northeast–south-southwest trending, west-dipping structure at an angle of 40–45°. They proposed a 27 km long rupture along the fault based on the description of extreme damage in Summerville and a lesser severity of damage in Pinopolis, further north of the proposed northern rupture termination.Bilham Roger Hough Susan E. The 1886 Charleston, South Carolina, Earthquake: Relic Railroad Offset Reveals Rupture The Seismic Record 2023 3 4 278–288 10.1785/0320230022 free 2023SeisR...3..278B Damage Building damage thumb|One of many "earthquake bolts" found throughout period houses in Charleston thumb|Charleston, SC Earthquake – 1886 thumb|Charleston, SC Earthquake – 1886 Within the city, many of the buildings sustained damage; some had to be torn down and rebuilt. The most prominent damage was done to buildings constructed out of brick, amounting to 81% of building damage. Buildings that had a wood frame suffered significantly less damage. Another factor that affected the percent of buildings destroyed was what kind of ground these buildings were built on. Buildings constructed on made ground were significantly more likely to be damaged than buildings constructed on solid ground; however, this relationship only occurred in wood-frame buildings, with 14% of wood-frame buildings built on made ground sustaining damage, compared to 0.5% of wood-frame buildings built on solid ground sustaining damage. This relationship was negligible as it pertains to the damage of buildings made of brick.Robinson Andrew Talwani Pradeep April 1, 1983 Building damage at Charleston, South Carolina, associated with the 1886 earthquake http://dx.doi.org/10.1785/bssa0730020633 Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America 73 2 633–652 10.1785/bssa0730020633 1983BuSSA..73..633R 1943-3573 subscription The most prominent buildings that were destroyed were commercial buildings, while residential buildings sustained significantly less damage. This is due to the fact that commercial buildings were older, had a more prominent top compared to the base of the building, and were made of brick. The Old White Meeting House near Summerville, Dorchester County, South Carolina was reduced to ruins.Old White Meeting House Ruins and Cemetery, Dorchester County (SC Hwy 642, Summerville vicinity) http://www.nationalregister.sc.gov/dorchester/S10817718012/index.htm July 5, 2012 National Register Properties in South Carolina South Carolina Department of Archives and History October 26, 2017 https://web.archive.org/web/20171026034258/http://www.nationalregister.sc.gov/dorchester/S10817718012/index.htm live Other man-made structures were also damaged as a result of earth splits caused by the earthquake. Railroad tracks in Charleston and nearby areas were snapped and trains were derailed. Dams broke, which caused flooding in surrounding farms and roads. The ground liquefied in many spots which further damaged many buildings, roads, bridges, and farm fields.Zalzal Kate Benchmarks: August 31, 1886: Magnitude-7 earthquake rocks Charleston, South Carolina https://www.earthmagazine.org/article/benchmarks-august-31-1886-magnitude-7-earthquake-rocks-charleston-south-carolina/ live earthmagazine.org https://web.archive.org/web/20181029085119/https://www.earthmagazine.org/article/benchmarks-august-31-1886-magnitude-7-earthquake-rocks-charleston-south-carolina October 29, 2018 Other damage thumb|"THE GREAT EARTHQUAKE" The Times and Democrat, Orangeburg, S.C., September 16, 1886 Wires were cut and the railroad tracks were torn apart, cutting residents off from the outside world. The damage was assessed to be between $5 million and $6 million. This would be about $112 million today.Earthquake shakes Charleston, South Carolina https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/earthquake-shakes-charleston-south-carolina October 20, 2021 HISTORY October 20, 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20211020140152/https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/earthquake-shakes-charleston-south-carolina live In total, there were about 60 deaths from the earthquake. The Charleston earthquake was then followed by a series of aftershocks. It was reported there to be 300 smaller aftershocks within the first 30 years following the earthquake in 1886 and 435 total. Major damage occurred as far away as Tybee Island, Georgia, which is more than 60 miles away. Structural damage was reported several hundred miles from Charleston, including in central Alabama, central Ohio, eastern Kentucky, southern Virginia and western West Virginia. thumb|Isoseismal map of the Eastern United States contoured to show the more localized variation' in the reported intensities for the 1886 Charleston earthquake. Contoured intensity levels are shown by Arabic numeralsNuttli Otto W. Bollinger G. A. Herrmann Robert B. The 1886 Charleston, South Carolina, Earthquake – A 1986 Perspective https://pubs.usgs.gov/circ/1986/0985/report.pdf live United States Geological Survey https://web.archive.org/web/20170216092050/https://pubs.usgs.gov/circ/1986/0985/report.pdf February 16, 2017 Circular 1986 10.3133/cir985 Aftermath Many building owners added earthquake bolts to existing unreinforced masonry buildings in order to add support to the structure to avoid having to demolish it because of instability. The bolts pass through the existing masonry walls, tying walls on opposite sides of the structure together for stability. Additionally, the South Carolina Emergency Management Division (SCEMD) has been created to plan disaster mitigation as well as respond to current disasters in order to reduce property damage and save lives.Kevin P. Corbley South Carolina Devises Earthquake Preparedness Plan With GIS https://www.esri.com/news/arcnews/winter0203articles/south-carolina-devises.html December 2, 2021 Esri News ArcNews Winter 2002–2003 December 2, 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20211202001459/https://www.esri.com/news/arcnews/winter0203articles/south-carolina-devises.html live Local photographer George LaGrange Cook took a series of photographs of the city after the quake, publishing them as Cook's Earthquake Views of Charleston and Vicinity.https://charlestonmag.com/features/telling_tales Telling Tales Charleston Magazine September 24, 2019 February 16, 2021 January 21, 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20210121093225/https://charlestonmag.com/features/telling_tales live A collection of his work is held by the Gibbes Museum of Art in the city.https://gibbesmuseum.pastperfectonline.com/bycreator?keyword=Cook,+George+LaGrange Cook, George LaGrange - American gibbesmuseum.pastperfectonline.com August 31, 2026 December 22, 2025 https://web.archive.org/web/20251222231845/https://gibbesmuseum.pastperfectonline.com/bycreator?keyword=Cook,+George+LaGrange live After the initial earthquake, for the next 30 years, there were 435 total aftershocks from the earthquake. Some of these started directly after the earthquake and were more frequent and the longer after the earthquake, the more spaced out the aftershocks were. The initial shock in Charleston lasted for about 45 seconds and was extremely destructive, leaving nearly all of the 8,000 city structures with either interior damage or broken windows. The first aftershock followed just ten minutes later, and had the city rumbling once again. In the next 24 hours, at least seven different aftershocks were felt in Charleston and its surrounding areas. The earthquake and its aftershocks caused damage to buildings in cities such as Savannah and Augusta, Georgia, as well as Columbia, South Carolina, more than 100 miles from Charleston. The quake was even felt in cities as far as Boston and Chicago, where plaster fell from ceilings in upper floors of some buildings.Smith Bruce August 31, 1986 Charleston Still Shaking With Memories of 1886 Earthquake https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1986-08-31-mn-14984-story.html live Los Angeles Times https://web.archive.org/web/20211130204710/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1986-08-31-mn-14984-story.html November 30, 2021 It has been estimated that if an earthquake of this size were to occur in the same place today, it would result in an approximately $20 billion loss just in South Carolina, as well as approximately 900 deaths and 44,000 injuries.Hayati Hossein Andrus Ronald D. June 2008 Liquefaction Potential Map of Charleston, South Carolina Based on the 1886 Earthquake http://dx.doi.org/10.1061/(asce)1090-0241(2008)134:6(815) Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering 134 6 815–828 10.1061/(asce)1090-0241(2008)134:6(815) 1090-0241 subscription However, as the earthquakes that have occurred in Charleston are large but infrequent, happening every 500–600 years, it is very unlikely that another earthquake of this size will occur any time soon.Ertle Jamie Seismologist discusses recent earthquakes in Lowcountry https://www.wtoc.com/2021/09/30/seismologist-discusses-recent-earthquakes-lowcountry/ December 2, 2021 wtoc.com September 30, 2021 December 2, 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20211202001459/https://www.wtoc.com/2021/09/30/seismologist-discusses-recent-earthquakes-lowcountry/ live See also Geology of the United States List of earthquakes in South Carolina List of earthquakes in the United States List of historical earthquakes References Modern Seismicity and the Fault Responsible for the 1886 Charleston, South Carolina, Earthquake http://bssa.geoscienceworld.org/content/early/2016/02/14/0120150221 M. C. Chapman J. N. Beale A. C. Hardy Q. Wu 2016 Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America 106 2 10.1785/0120150221 364–372 2016BuSSA.106..364C subscription January 11, 2017 January 13, 2017 https://web.archive.org/web/20170113145352/http://bssa.geoscienceworld.org/content/early/2016/02/14/0120150221 live Stover C.W. Coffman J.L. Seismicity of the United States, 1568–1989 (Revised) U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 1527 https://books.google.com/books?id=bY0KAQAAIAAJ 1993 United States Government Printing Office 348–351 Further reading https://www.newspapers.com/clip/43817606/death_destruction/ Death! Destruction! Charleston, S.C. Visited by an Earthquake September 10, 1886 The Beaumont Business Nixie Ackerman 1 Beaumont, Kansas 1 2 Newspapers.com Pratt T. L. Shah A. K. Counts R. C. Horton J. W. Chapman M. C. Shallow Faulting and Folding in the Epicentral Area of the 1886 Charleston, South Carolina, Earthquake Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America 2022 112 4 2097–2123 0037-1106 10.1785/0120210329 2022BuSSA.112.2097P 10919/111933 248596204 free Paleoseismic Evidence for Recurrence of Earthquakes near Charleston, South Carolina P. Talwani J. Cox 1985 Science 229 4711 379–381 10.1126/science.229.4711.379 17795896 1985Sci...229..379T 11688124 Results of recent South Carolina seismological studies http://bssa.geoscienceworld.org/content/71/6/1883.abstract A.C. Tarr P. Talwani S. Rhea D. Carver D. Amick 1981 Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America 71 6 1883–1902 External links The Charleston Earthquake of 1886June 2026 InternetArchiveBot – University of South Carolina Historical Earthquakes: Charleston, South Carolina – United States Geological Survey Fault Map of South Carolina – South Carolina Department of Natural Resources The Charleston Earthquake, 1886 Lowcountry Digital Library Overview of an archival collection on the Charleston earthquake – Winterthur Museum, Garden and Library Charleston Earthquake, 1886 – University of South Carolina Isoseismal map of the earthquake centered near Charleston, South Carolina, on August 31, 1886 – University of California, Santa Cruz Category:History of Charleston, South Carolina Category:Natural disasters in South Carolina Category:1886 earthquakes Category:1886 natural disasters in the United States Category:Earthquakes in the United States Category:1886 in South Carolina Category:August 1886 in the United States Category:19th century in Charleston, South Carolina