In which U.S. state did the 1886 Charleston earthquake occur?

The 1886 Charleston earthquake occurred in South Carolina. The main shock struck near Charleston on 31 August 1886 at about 9:50 p.m. local time. Its estimated moment magnitude was approximately 6.9–7.3, with a maximum Modified Mercalli intensity of X, or Extreme.

Charleston and nearby communities suffered severe structural damage, especially in unreinforced brick buildings. Around 2,000 buildings were damaged, and many chimneys collapsed. At least 60 people died, while the financial losses were estimated at $5–6 million at the time.

This earthquake was unusual because South Carolina lies within the North American Plate rather than on a major active plate boundary. Scientists classify it as an intraplate earthquake, probably involving ancient faults formed during the breakup of Pangaea. Those buried faults remain difficult to study beneath the region’s thick sediments.

The shaking was felt across a huge area, reaching cities as distant as Boston, Chicago, and Milwaukee, as well as Cuba and Bermuda. Georgia appears among the wrong options because towns there were damaged, but the earthquake itself occurred in South Carolina.