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Two earthquakes in Tennessee felt by many across southeastern U.S.

Posted at 5:20 AM, Dec 12, 2018
and last updated 2018-12-12 08:01:54-05

Two earthquakes struck near eastern Tennessee Wednesday morning, rattling people awake across several Southeast states.

Two earthquakes struck near eastern Tennessee Wednesday morning, rattling people awake across several Southeast states.

The United States Geological Survey says the temblors hit near Decatur, Tennessee.

The first one, a preliminary 4.4-magnitude earthquake, occurred at 4:14 a.m. local time. It was the second strongest quake on record in east Tennessee, the local National Weather Service tweeted, citing USGS.

A preliminary 3.3-magnitude quake took place shortly after at 4:27 a.m. local time.

The earthquakes were felt hundreds of miles away, including in Atlanta, and the surrounding states of Alabama, Kentucky and the Carolinas.

Residents near the center of the quakes saw photos and other items falling over, the Meigs County Sheriff’s Department said.

There were no immediate reports of major damage.