Thursday, October 1, 2026
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Greenback, TN (WNN) - Are the upstairs neighbors rolling marbles across the floor? Sounds as if a small dog is now running across their floor. Wait! Why does that helicopter sound so low? Wow, everything in the apartment is beginning to rattle and shake. Whoa! That felt like a wave moving under my building, and now I feel it swaying side to side, and another wave. The rumbling is beginning to fade. My mind was trying to process and make sense of these thoughts at 9:04 a.m. Saturday, May 10, 2025. A few minutes later, I would discover that during that 45-second adventure, I was feeling an earthquake with its epicenter just 14 miles away. I had felt a slight tremor in the past from a minor earthquake much further away, yet it was nothing like this experience. Maryville, TN is not normally known for earthquakes; however, on this Spring Day near Greenback, TN would be the epicenter of a confirmed 4.1 magnitude earthquake that could be felt in parts of seven states. The United States Geological Survey rated the shaking in the Blount County and Loudon County areas of TN as strong and the intensity a 6 on a scale of 1-10.
Greenback is a small rural farming town whose population is around 1100 people. It is located about 13 miles from Maryville and approximately 30 miles Southwest of Knoxville. One Greenback resident who declined to be named stated he initially thought an airplane had crashed. The rumbling roar became a loud, explosive sound, which prompted him to run outside only to discover nothing unusual there. He went on to say it began as wild shaking for about a minute and then sounded like a massive explosion, followed by crazy winds. Having spent time in California during his military days, he had experienced similar-strength earthquakes; however, he said this one was far worse.
Yes, Cherryville, NC that indeed was an earthquake you felt Saturday morning. NC as well as TN, KY, VA, GA, Al, and SC reported residents feeling everything from slight rumblings to loud explosive type sounds and homes shaking as if a tree tossed in the wind. This earthquake had a depth of 25 KM or 15.5 miles deep, causing the quake to reverberate in so many surrounding areas. In the Cherryville area, many residents reported on social media that they felt slightly trembly ground, while others had distinctive shaking of their homes. No matter how noticeable, this quake became known to thousands over a very wide area.
There are two seismic zones in Tennessee. The western area just outside Memphis is home to the New Madrid Seismic Zone, and the East Tennessee Seismic Zone is in the Eastern part of the state. The latter, which runs from Northeast Alabama north to Southwestern Virginia, created the Greenbrier earthquake. The USGS has warned of a 23% chance that an aftershock registering 3.0 or higher could occur within the next week. The best news is that there are zero reports of deaths or bodily injuries related to this event. So far, minimal damage has been reported. The TVA reports that the only dam to have movement was the Fontana dam, which they inspected and found no damage. A brief gas leak occurred in West Knox Co. and was quickly resolved. The Great Smoky National Park shut down part of the Foothills Parkway West, which is the newest section. This will remain closed until the Federal Highway Administration inspects it.
Now for the surprising news. Earthquakes are relatively common along the East Tennessee Seismic Zone. Most are so light that they are not noticeable. In fact, this is currently the most active zone in the US according to the USGS. Since April 22, 2025, there have been six earthquakes within this zone, ranging from 1.6 to the most recent 4.1 event on Saturday. The largest ever recorded in East Tennessee was a 4.7 magnitude in 1973, whose epicenter was in Alcoa. This location is 12 miles from the most recent event.
One might wonder what an earthquake is and what causes it to suddenly appear without warning. The Earth’s crust is divided into large moving plates called tectonic plates. The constant movement goes unnoticed, although the plates are occasionally bumping and sliding. Friction from the movement sometimes results in fractures that are called faults. These faults sometimes render the plates stuck to one another, producing stress. Pressure and stress increase from the friction of the plates attempting to continue to move. As the struggle of the plates continues to increase pressure along the fault lines, the pressure will eventually overcome the friction, resulting in a sudden release of immense pressure as the plates slip. This stored energy creates seismic waves, like ocean waves. They will travel out from the source at tremendous speed, resulting in a shaking of the ground. If great enough, the strength of this shaking can cause fissures to open in the ground and topple homes and buildings. Some causes are also less common, such as volcanic activity, fracking, landslides, blasting from mines, and underground nuclear testing.
Since earthquakes usually strike with little to no warning, the best safety advice to remember is drop, cover, and hold. When inside, immediately drop to the ground, cover head and neck with arms and hands, and hold onto a sturdy object. If you are in bed, turn your face down and cover your head and neck with a pillow. If caught outdoors, move to an open area away from trees, buildings, and power lines. Stay there until the shaking has stopped. When driving, immediately pull over and stop. Avoid potential objects that could fall, such as trees and power lines. Do not attempt to drive until after the shaking has ceased. After shocks can occur anywhere from minutes up to a month after the first tremors. They can be pretty strong and should be anticipated.
Hopefully, Saturday’s earthquake will be the only one you ever experience. Even so, keep in mind that nature can be an unpredictable and formidable beast. Events can strike and turn deadly without warning. If caught in such a situation, remember to protect yourself by covering vulnerable areas of your self, stay away from windows, and resist the temptation to run outdoors to capture a video clip for social media. Also, remember we are in tornado season, and recent history has proven the Cherryville area is becoming a favorite target of Mother Nature. Take any watches or warnings issued by the weather service seriously and prepare. We want you to stay around, alive and well.
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