Small earthquake reported in northwest Georgia

GORDON COUNTY, Ga. — Folks in Gordon County waking up after a day of holiday festivities were greeted by a small earthquake Friday morning.

The 2.7-magnitude quake was reported just outside the small town of Plainville, about seven miles west of Calhoun in northwest Georgia, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

“For those who heard a loud boom at approximately 10 a.m., the USGS has reported that our area experienced a 2.7 earthquake,” the Gordon County Emergency Management Agency said. “We have verified with 911 that everything is OK in Gordon County.”

There have been several small earthquakes in northwest Georgia over the past few years, including a 1.9 magnitude near Villanow, in Walker County, in August.

A 2.7 quake was reported in Catoosa County, near Fort Oglethorpe, in January, and a 2.3 hit Trion, in Chattooga County, in November 2017. In July 2017, a 2.2 quake was registered just north of LaFayette in Walker County.

Each level of earthquake increases by a factor of 10, Channel 2 Action News meteorologist Brian Monahan said, so a 4.0 is actually 10 times stronger than a 3.0, and 5.0 is 100 times stronger than a 3.0.

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