People thought Florida broke off during the 1886 Charleston earthquake

This Day In Weather History is a daily podcast by Chris Mei from The Weather Network, featuring stories about people, communities and events and how weather impacted them.

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On Tuesday, August 31, 1886, at around 9:50 p.m., an earthquake hit the Southeastern United States. The earthquake was estimated to be 6.9 – 7.3 magnitude. It killed 60 people, wrecked over 2,000 buildings, and caused $5 – 6 million (around $158 million in 2020) worth of damage.

Aside from the devastating destruction, the event is also significant because earthquakes of this magnitude are extremely rare in the area.

"Damage on Tradd Street." Courtesy of Wikipedia

The earthquake was felt from Massachusetts to Illinois and Wisconsin to Louisiana. Outside of the United States, the shock was felt between Cuba and Bermuda to the east. People thought that the earthquake caused the Florida peninsula to break off from the continent.

Ultimately, the earthquake caused the most damage to Charleston, South Carolina, giving the event its moniker, the "1886 Charleston earthquake".

In Charleston, buildings were damaged, wires were torn down and railroad tracks were ripped apart. Charleston residents were essentially cut off from the rest of the world.

"One of many "earthquake bolts" found throughout period houses in Charleston." Courtesy of RegBarc/Wikipedia/CC BY 2.5

The earthquake also caused damage in Georgia, Alabama, Ohio, Kentucky, and Virginia.

As a result of the aftermath, many buildings were reinforced by earthquake bolts to avoid future damage.

To learn more about the 1886 Charleston earthquake, listen to today's episode of "This Day In Weather History."

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