Western North Carolinians felt the effects of an earthquake of 4.1 preliminary magnitude Saturday morning in Tennessee.
According to the U.S. Geological Survey website, the earthquake originated shortly after 9 a.m. EDT about 12 miles (20 kilometers) from Greenback, Tennessee, which is about 30 miles (48 kilometers) south of Knoxville.
Earthquakes are not uncommon in the region. The Eastern Tennessee seismic zone is one of the most active in the Southeast and extends across parts of Tennessee, Georgia and Alabama.
Two tremors struck in December 2018. One was a 4.4 magnitude earthquake that was centered in Decatur, Tennessee, which is south of Knoxville. It shook homes as far away as Atlanta.
Another earthquake struck a few days later with a magnitude of 3.0. Its epicenter was about two miles (four kilometers) southeast of Mascot, near Knoxville. It also was felt in parts of Georgia, Kentucky and North Carolina.
