Earthquake detected near scenic NC mountain town, USGS says
A small earthquake was detected near a scenic North Carolina town in the Blue Ridge Mountains on Saturday, federal seismologists reported.
The 1.7 magnitude earthquake registered at 1:06 a.m. about 4 miles southwest of the high country town of Newland, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
Newland, population 700, is the Avery County seat of government, a 20-mile drive southwest of Blowing Rock. Charlotte is 110 miles southeast.
The quake was 1.2 miles deep, seismologists said.
No one reported feeling the quake, according to the USGS, which also received no reports of damage.
Quake joins spate of tremors over the past year
The quake also was smaller than the spate of tremors across the mountains in 2025, most of them similarly weak and barely felt.
On Dec. 6, a 2.1 magnitude earthquake registered about 2.5 miles southeast of Weaverville and 9 miles south of Asheville, according to the USGS.
A 2.1 magnitude earthquake also registered Oct. 11 about four miles northwest of Weaverville, seismologists said.
On Sept. 20, the town of Rosman experienced its 11th small earthquake of the year, according to the USGS. Weaverville is 50 miles northeast of Rosman.
Earthquakes under 3.0 are considered weak.
The strongest earthquake of 2025, a 4.1 magnitude, hit May 10 near the Tennessee-North Carolina border and was felt as far east as Charlotte, the USGS reported.
This story was originally published January 3, 2026 at 12:13 PM with the headline "Earthquake detected near scenic NC mountain town, USGS says."