Georgia may be known for its boiling summer temperatures, the occasional hurricane and a rogue tornado, but the state is not typically associated with earthquakes.
There are no major fault lines that run through the Peach State, meaning earthquakes are pretty rare, but they do still occur in some parts of the state more often than others.
Last week, in an area just outside Atlanta, one town thought they were experiencing one of these rare rumbles. Turns out, it wasn't an earthquake at all.
Atlanta area earthquake was actually quarry blast
Around 11 a.m. on July 29, the U.S. Geological Survey reported a 2.3 magnitude earthquake in Gwinnett County, just outside Atlanta.
Local residents felt the tremor, and the location was triangulated to the area behind Meadowcreek High School and Gwinnett County
Fire Station 23 in Norcross.
A 2.3-magnitude earthquake is relatively small, usually only felt locally and possibly unnoticed by many in the area.
However, the next day the classification by USGS was changed from earthquake to "quarry blast." The agency said the blast created an equivalent seismic force of an earthquake but was artificially created.
Vulcan Materials owns the rock quarry behind the high school, and in a statement to WSB-TV, the company said activities at the quarry registering as an earthquake is "highly unusual."
"Quarry operations cannot cause earthquakes. Earlier this week, a blast at our quarry registered a low seismic reading. While a localized seismic reading at our quarry is highly unusual, this blast was within state and federal regulations and did not impact the community," a company spokesperson told the outlet.
How often does Georgia experience earthquakes?
Earthquakes in Georgia are relatively rare, but there are a few across the state every year.
"Approximately 15 percent of the world's earthquakes are scattered over areas like Georgia that lack clearly defined active faults," according to the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency. "Georgia's northwest counties, South Carolina border counties, and central and west central Georgia counties are most at risk."
Five earthquakes have been recorded in Georgia in 2026 so far, according to USGS data, including two south of Chattanooga, one outside of Augusta, one near Washington and a final earthquake near Statesboro. The highest recorded value was a 2.1-magnitude earthquake.
There were significantly more earthquakes recorded in 2025, but they remained low in magnitude and occurred in similar areas of the state.
Irene Wright is the Atlanta Connect reporter with USA Today’s Deep South Connect team. Find her on X @IreneEWright or email her at ismith@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Thought you felt a rumble last week in Atlanta? It wasn't an earthquake
