MyReporter: Does the Wilmington area experience earthquakes?

The Wilmington area is no stranger to natural disasters.

From floods to fires to tornadoes to hurricanes, residents in this area see a little bit of everything. Well, almost. One thing residents don't experience -- thankfully -- is earthquakes. But that doesn't mean we should rule them out.

Does Wilmington have earthquakes?

According to Dr. Thomas Pratt, a research geophysicist with the U.S. Geological Survey based in Reston, Virginia, earthquakes aren't common in the Wilmington area, and there are no records of damaging quakes in New Hanover, Brunswick or Pender counties. But that doesn't mean the area won't experience one. Earthquakes occur everywhere in the eastern United States.

"They pop up all over the place," Pratt said. "So, there's no reason you couldn't have one in Wilmington."

REAL-TIME TRACKING: Check out our earthquake tracker.

What causes earthquakes?

According to the U.S. Geological Survey's website, the Earth is made up of "massive, irregularly shaped slabs of rock" composed of the Earth's crust. The plates are constantly moving but occasionally get stuck, creating stress between the plates. Pratt explained earthquakes are caused by this stress that builds up, and he compared the phenomenon to a rubber band.

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Quakes occur along fault lines, where tectonic plates join together. While there are thousands of fault lines in the Eastern U.S., only a few are active. The closest active fault is the Charleston, S.C. Seismic Zone, which produced a 7.0-magnitude quake in Charleston in 1886.

But earthquakes have also been recorded in other areas of the southeast, including a 5.8-magnitude quake in Virginia in 2011 and a 5.1-magnitude quake in Sparta, N.C., in 2020.

Pratt said it is "not well understood" why the Southeastern United States experiences quakes.

"One of the mysteries is why earthquakes occur in this area at all," Pratt said.

What about undersea quakes?

While many speculate the loud, window-rattling booms -- known locally as the "Seneca Guns" -- coastal residents experience from time-to-time are caused by undersea earthquakes, Pratt said that's not likely. Under-sea earthquakes do occur, but Pratt pointed out these are usually along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, an undersea mountain range located about 2,000 miles away in the center of the Atlantic Ocean.

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Always be prepared.

While earthquakes aren't likely in the Wilmington area, they're not impossible.

"It's possible you could feel a small earthquake," he said. "If you do, let it be a reminder that you should have emergency preparedness kits ready for any kind of natural disaster."

Is there something in the Cape Fear region that you want to know about? Submit your question to MyReporter@starnewsonline.com.

This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Does Wilmington, NC, have earthquakes?