Residents in Tennessee and Georgia were jolted on Saturday morning by an earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 4.1, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
The earthquake had its epicenter just outside of Greenback, Tenn., a town of about 1,000 people, but was felt as far away as Atlanta.
Shortly after the quake, people in the region logged reports with the U.S. Geological Survey about where they felt it. Reports of shaking came from as far away as Nashville and Charlotte, N.C.
There were only a few instances of light damage reported around the epicenter, and no reports of moderate or heavy damage, according to those who self-reported to the Geological Survey.
The area, known as the Eastern Tennessee Seismic Zone, extends across Tennessee into northwestern Georgia and northeastern Alabama. Minor earthquakes occur annually, but the zone is not known to have major tremors.
As seismologists review available data, they may revise the reported magnitude of Saturday’s earthquake.
The last time a strong earthquake was felt in the region was 2018, when a 4.4 magnitude tremor rattled houses but caused little damage.
The earthquake was still novel enough to generate aftershocks on social media.
People from Asheville, N.C., to Gatlinburg, Tenn., outside of Knoxville, reported feeling the earth shaking as they enjoyed their morning coffee.
One user poked fun at the earthquake’s lack of impact, sharing an image of patio furniture with a single chair knocked over, captioned: “I survived the 2025 Knoxville earthquake. We will rebuild.”
Another shared a photo of their cat sheltering in a cardboard box with the caption, “Did not handle the East Tennessee earthquake of 2025 well at all.”
On Facebook, those close to the epicenter in Sevier County described the earthquake as sounding like an explosion or a roar of thunder. One person said she thought it was “a racecar revving up” while another said she thought it was “a helicopter flying over.”
Jonathan Wolfe contributed reporting.
