Two minor earthquakes have struck western North Carolina

VALLEY HILL, N.C. (AP) — The U.S. Geological Survey says that two earthquakes have struck western North Carolina in just over 24 hours.

The Charlotte Observer reports that the most recent quake hit about a mile from Valley Hill late Monday evening. Valley Hill is about 25 miles (40 km) south of Asheville.

The 2.1-magnitude tremor was more than 6 miles deep.

On Sunday night, a 2.3-magnitude tremor was detected about a mile southwest of Valley Hill. That quake was 5 miles deep.
People in the region reported experiencing “weak” shaking but no damage.

The area has a history of earthquake activity. Severe seismic activity doesn’t happen often there. But the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality said that “there have been a few strong earthquakes in our mountain region in the last 100 years.”