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This was the largest earthquake recorded in Florida. Could it happen again?

Records show strongest quake in Sunshine State hit in 1879

Dry mud (generic) (Bernd Lauter, 2022 Bernd Lauter/Getty Images)

Florida was rattled on Wednesday evening after an earthquake was reported off the coast of Brevard County, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

While the 4.0-magnitude earthquake startled many along the Space Coast, earthquakes aren’t generally a huge threat to the state, as Florida isn’t over any active fault lines.

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In fact, Florida is one of only four states that had no earthquakes between 1975 and 1995.

However, that hasn’t stopped earthquakes from popping up in the Sunshine State in the past.

USGS data shows that several quakes were clustered along Florida’s northwest border, though the strongest ever reported was much closer to Central Florida.

Earthquake Map from the U.S. Geological Society. The orange dot represents Wednesday's earthquake off the coast of Brevard County, and the blue dot represents the area where an earthquake was reported nearly 150 years ago. (U.S. Geological Society)

The University of Florida reports that shortly before midnight on Jan. 12, 1879, the largest earthquake on record struck the state, possibly centered in Putnam County.

That earthquake weighed in at a magnitude of 4.4, with nearby residents experiencing two back-to-back quakes.

According to accounts at the time, the earthquake was felt in Cedar Key, Gainesville, Jacksonville, St. Augustine and Tallahassee.

“A pair of 30-second tremors, possibly centered in the Palatka area, sent crockery tumbling off shelves and jolted startled residents awake in a large part of north Florida,” researchers said.

Another earthquake — though smaller — was reported near Jacksonville in 1900, sitting at a magnitude of 3.5.

USGS's Earthquake Map shows the Jacksonville quake as a blue dot. It was reported on Oct. 31, 1900. (U.S. Geological Society)

“At 11:15 a.m., residents reported seismic activity that lasted no more than 10 seconds and caused little damage to city buildings,” the Florida Historical Society wrote about the quake.

Meanwhile, other strong earthquakes had their strength felt in Florida, though they didn’t originate in the state.

One notable example is the 1886 Charleston Earthquake, which sparked a reported tsunami along Florida’s east coast.

Another case happened in 2006, when a strong 5.6-magnitude earthquake deep in the Gulf of Mexico caused tremors throughout several southern states, including Florida.

The blue dot in this image is the site of an earthquake in the Gulf of Mexico that was reported on Sept. 10, 2006. Its impacts could be felt through several of the surrounding southern states. (U.S. Geological Society)

Another cluster of earthquakes was triggered in 2016 and again in 2021 off the coast of Flagler County by what the USGS lists as “experimental explosions.”

These were set off due to the U.S. Navy’s explosives testing, which was aimed at making sure Naval ships were able to withstand the force of such blasts.

The diamond shapes located in the upper-right of the USGS map signify the sites of experimental explosions from tests by the U.S. Navy. They triggered earthquakes at magnitudes ranging from 3.7 to 3.9. (U.S. Geological Society)

While earthquakes are still incredibly rare in mainland Florida, there’s always the chance of another one popping up.

But just how high are those chances? Here’s what News 6 Chief Meteorologist Tom Sorrells had to say:

I would say NOT very high at all. The self-evident statistics of the decades of no activity speak for themselves. But, as with most events, the chance is not zero. Small, non-damaging earthquakes have happened in the past. And will happen again. The question is almost always not if, but when. The bigger threat will always be from Major Landfalling Hurricanes, freshwater flooding across our inland areas, and storm surge and rising tides on the coast.

News 6 Chief Meteorologist Tom Sorrells

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