Who expects an earthquake with their Saturday morning waffles?
Not many folks in the South — but that’s exactly what happened.
A 4.1-magnitude quake jolted parts of Tennessee just after 9 a.m., shaking homes and waking up startled residents from Greenback to Atlanta.
“I thought it was a plane flying low,” said Gabriela Reilly from Georgia.
“My husband was like, nope — definitely an earthquake.”
Where’s The Epicenter?
About 30 miles south of Knoxville, in a zone not unfamiliar with seismic surprises.
Over 23,000 people reported the tremor to the US Geological Survey (USGS) within the hour.
That’s a lot of people double-checking their ceiling fans.
Jason Pack, a former FBI agent, said the rumble was loud enough to wake the dog.
“We’re used to tornadoes here, not earthquakes,” he joked.
Still, he reminded everyone: “If a big one hits, know what to do — drop, cover, and hold on.”
Eastern quakes, experts say, pack a punch over long distances thanks to the region’s geology.
“They’re felt more widely than out West,” said USGS’s Ayesha Davis.
No injuries, no major damage.
Just a solid reminder that even in the South, the ground isn’t always as still as we think.
