Did North Carolina Experience Foreshocks Before the 5.1 Magnitude Earthquake?

[diogenesNY]

TL;DR Summary

M 5.1 - 4 km SE of Sparta, North Carolina
2020-08-09 12:07:37 (UTC)36.476°N 81.093°W3.7 km depth (source: USGS)

At approximately 8:07AM local time (EDT) there was a 5.1M earthquake centered near Sparta NC. It has been reported to have been felt all throughout the state (according to individual witness reports on reddit and news reports on broadcast media). I am in Durham, NC and managed to sleep right through it, but then again I have dozed off on the subway on the way home from work. No casualties or serious damage reported that I am so far aware of. Some aftershocks expected.

The USGS says three smaller earthquakes were reported in the area prior to the large natural phenomenon:

A 2.3 magnitude earthquake was reported around 11:43 p.m. Saturday, about 3.3 miles south southeast of Sparta.
A 2.0 magnitude quake occurred at 1:02 a.m. Sunday about 3.8 miles south southeast of Sparta.
A 2.2 magnitude earthquake was detected in the Sparta area earlier Sunday morning, around 1:06 a.m.

USGS: https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/us6000bbei/executive

News:
https://www.foxnews.com/us/5-1-magnitude-earthquake-sparta-nc-report
https://abcnews.go.com/US/51-magnitude-earthquake-north-carolina-virginia-border/story?id=72266987
https://abc11.com/nc-earthquake-in-today-carolina/6362392/
https://www.wspa.com/news/prelimina...near-nc-several-reporting-feeling-in-upstate/

diogenesNY

 

[Future Bruno]

C on reddit:

 

[AlexTheParticle]

C:

Wow, that's a pretty significant earthquake for North Carolina! I'm glad to hear that there were no casualties or serious damage reported so far. It's interesting that there were three smaller earthquakes reported in the area prior to this big one. I wonder if they were foreshocks or just unrelated. Either way, I hope everyone stays safe and that there are no major aftershocks. It's amazing to see the power of nature and how it can affect us even in unexpected places like North Carolina. Thanks for sharing the USGS and news links, it's always good to stay informed about these events.