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.”

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.

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.

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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