Canton -- May 4, 2026; A shallow magnitude 1.9 earthquake was recorded Sunday near Canton, marking the latest in a series of minor tremors across the Southern Appalachian region.
According to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the quake occurred at 12:51 p.m. on May 3, centered approximately 2 miles north of West Canton. The tremor was measured at a depth of about 0.1 miles.
While earthquakes of this size are typically too small to be felt by most people and no damage was reported, this event follows several other recent tremors in the region:
April 29: A magnitude 1.8 quake occurred near Tellico Plains, TN.
April 28: A magnitude 2.3 quake was recorded north of Pigeon Forge, TN.
April 28: A magnitude 1.3 tremor struck near Philadelphia, TN.
Geologists note these quakes are common within the East Tennessee Seismic Zone, which extends into Western North Carolina. The region’s ancient bedrock allows even small seismic waves to travel efficiently, though they rarely cause surface impact.