Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer in Lexington, SC

The quake was centered just a few hundred feet from the Lake Murray Dam, just south of Yacht Cove and Hollywood Point, according to officials.

LEXINGTON, S.C. — A 3.0 magnitude earthquake rattled the Lake Murray area of Lexington County on Thursday, shaking homes and businesses and prompting hundreds of reports from Midlands residents who felt the tremor.

The quake was centered just a few hundred feet from the Lake Murray Dam, just south of Yacht Cove and Hollywood Point, according to officials.

Marvin Oswald was inside a Hobby Lobby in Lexington when the shaking began.

“It sounded like a truck that backed into a loading ramp or something like that, because it did shake the building,” Oswald said. “The building did shake pretty good for a little while.”

Across the area, home security cameras captured the moment the shaking started. Residents shared video showing subtle movement as the tremor passed through.

Courtney Dunlap said she initially mistook the sound for a car outside her home before realizing something else was happening.

“There was kind of a quiet rumble at first, which I just assumed was the car,” Dunlap said. “It progressively got louder, almost like a boom. At the same time as that boom, everything shook. The entire house shook.”

State Geologist Scott Howard said the magnitude scale measures the amount of energy released during an earthquake.

“The magnitude is a measure of the amount of energy released, and it’s a logarithmic scale,” Howard said. “If you jump from a magnitude 2 to a magnitude 3, you’re releasing about 32 times more energy.”

Even so, Howard said a magnitude 3.0 earthquake is well below the level that typically causes structural damage.

As of Thursday, there were no reports of injuries or damage in Lexington County.

Officials say the Lake Murray Dam was retrofitted to withstand a much stronger earthquake, up to a magnitude 6 or 7.

Tremors were heard and felt Thursday afternoon in the Columbia area of South Carolina, as another earthquake was recorded.

A 3.0 magnitude earthquake was confirmed near Lexington at 12:17 p.m., according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The USGS originally reported the earthquake was a 2.48 magnitude seismic event.

It was the most powerful earthquake in South Carolina this year — topping a 2.9 magnitude quake rocked the Lowcountry on Feb. 7. The previous strongest to hit the Lake Murray area, that was a 2.8 magnitude seismic event happened Feb. 13 by Irmo, according to the state’s Department of Natural Resources Geological Survey.

The impact of Thursday’s quake was magnified because it was recorded about a tenth of a mile beneath the ground, South Carolina DNR data shows. That’s the closest to the surface any of any earthquake recorded in 2026.

Recent earthquakes

The recent seismic activity means that 12 earthquakes have been confirmed in South Carolina this year. Ten of them have been recorded in little more than a three-week span in February. The past four have all been in the Columbia area.

Prior to this series of tremors near Columbia, there were six consecutive earthquakes recorded in the Lowcountry between Feb. 3 and 12, South Carolina DNR data shows.

There were 35 confirmed earthquakes in South Carolina in 2025.

In 2024, there were 30 earthquakes in the Palmetto State, after 28 quakes were recorded in 2023, South Carolina DNR records show.

History of earthquakes in SC

It had been uncommon for earthquakes to hit outside the Midlands area of the Palmetto State, specifically beyond Kershaw County, where 74 earthquakes have been confirmed since the end of June 2022, according to the South Carolina DNR.

That’s also where South Carolina’s most powerful recent earthquakes were recorded on June 29, 2022.

On that day, two earthquakes — one a 3.5 magnitude and the other 3.6 — were included in a flurry of tremors and aftershocks. Those were the two largest quakes to hit South Carolina in nearly a decade. A 4.1-magnitude quake struck McCormick County in 2014.

Anyone who felt tremors and shaking or heard rumbling from Thursday’s earthquake can report it to the USGS. As of 12:45 p.m., more than 250 people confirmed feeling the earthquake.

Count members of the South Carolina Emergency Management Division and National Weather Service office in Columbia among those who experienced the earthquake. They posted about it on social media.

“We felt and heard it here at our office,” National Weather Service officials said from their headquarters at the Columbia Metropolitan Airport.

“We felt the earth move under our feet,” the Emergency Management Division said.

Ernest Bolton was even more direct with his social media post, saying “EARTHQUAKE IN HARBISON !!! My whole dam house shook !!!”

More areas where people have reported feeling the earthquake include Five Points, Shandon, Seven Oaks, the Vista, Oak Grove and near Riverbanks Zoo & Garden.

The most recent earthquakes mean at least 179 have been detected in the Palmetto State since the start of 2022, according to South Carolina DNR. All but 59 of the quakes have been in the Midlands.

In all, 125 earthquakes have hit the Columbia area since a 3.3-magnitude quake was recorded Dec. 27, 2021, according to the DNR.

The S.C. Emergency Management Division said the majority of the recent earthquakes were classified as a micro quakes, according to the Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale.

No major damage or injuries have been reported from the recent seismic activity or any of the other recent quakes.

Earthquakes that register 2.5 magnitude or less often go unnoticed and are usually recorded only by a seismograph, according to Michigan Technological University. Any quake less than 5.5 magnitude is not likely to cause significant damage, the school said.

It had been typical for South Carolina to have between six and 10 earthquakes a year, the S.C. Geological Survey previously reported. There have been 193 earthquakes in South Carolina since Jan. 18, 2021, according to DNR. During a 2022 town hall to address the earthquakes, state geologist Scott Howard said as many as 200 smaller tremors might have gone unnoticed and unrecorded.

Reported earthquakes in SC 2025-26

The winningest high school girls soccer coach in South Carolina history will be hanging it up after this season.

Lexington’s Chris Fryland says the 2026 season will be his last as Wildcats’ head coach.

“I always said when it came more like a job than a passion then it was time to step down,” Fryland told The State. “I was thinking about it toward the end of last year, but then I decided over Christmas.

“I go back and forth some days because I still really enjoy the kids and everything about it. But I think I made the right decision.”

With Fryland’s impending retirement, that means the two winningest soccer coaches in SC high school history will no longer be coaching. Phil Savitz, the SC boys all-time winningest coach, retired after the 2024 season. Savitz coached for 45 yards and won 824 matches.

Fryland is entering his 27th season at the school and looks to add to his state-record 460 victories. He became the state’s all-time winningest coach, passing Tony Archenhold, in 2023 when he won his 429th match.

Fryland’s 460 wins rank 14th in the country for girls high school soccer coaches, according to the National Federation of High Schools’ record books.

“I guess it’s more just being here for such a long time and having consistently really, good players to be able to win with,” Fryland said of the state record. “To be able to win so many games at such a high level with those players made it a really, really, really fun process.”

Fryland, a New Jersey native, moved to South Carolina more than 30 years ago. He coached on the club level before becoming head coach at Camden High School in 1992. That stint didn’t last long as he moved to Virginia for a short period before returning to South Carolina.

Fryland became the Lexington boys junior varsity coach in 1999 before then taking over the girls program, where he is going into his 27th season. High School girls soccer was just getting started in SC when he took over Lexington with the first season coming in 1991.

During his tenure at the school, Fryland has led the Wildcats to 11 region titles, nine state semifinal appearances and three state title trips in 2007, 2016 and 2018. In 2016, Lexington went 25-0-2 and capped off the season by winning a memorable state championship match against Mann.

The Wildcats were ranked No. 5 nationally in USA Today/National Soccer Coaches Association polls that season.

Megan Classer scored in the 105th minute to give the Wildcats a 2-1 victory in sudden death.

“Everything kind of came together that year,” Fryland said of the championship season.

Now, Fryland hopes to make a title run in his last season as well as trying to soak in every moment during the season.

The Wildcats were ranked No. 9 in Class 5A Division I in the preseason SC Coaches polls. Lexington opened up its preseason on Friday against Fort Mill and will begin its season against Carolina Forest on Friday at the Michael Nash Tournament.

“I try to approach everyday like it is my last practice and go as hard as I can,” Fryland said. “But after our scrimmage against Fort Mill, I was thinking we have a chance to be pretty good this year. We graduated eight starters. … And the lower state is going to be really tough with Wando, River Bluff, James Island and West Ashley. But we have a chance to go pretty far.”

LEXINGTON COUNTY, S.C. — The annual Lexington County Peach Festival will not take place this year, as the event cites a lack of organizers as the reason why.

The Peach Festival posted an update online Friday afternoon on their website calling it a "difficult" decision that came during a vote by the festival's membership.

"This decision was not made lightly," the stated. "The Peach Festival requires tremendous coordination, planning, and countless volunteer hours from our Club members - from organizing vendors and selling ice cream and concessions, to managing event logistics. This year, several of our members will be attending the 250th anniversary celebration of our nation's founding in Washington, D.C. – a once-in-a-lifetime milestone. Without these individuals available to contribute to the festival's operations, we cannot ensure the quality experience our community has come to expect and deserves."

The festival has been held for 65 years and is known for featuring all things peaches, including ice cream. It also features a large parade which over the years became a popular stomping ground location for politicians running for the governorship, Congress, and many other offices.

Organizers said they acknowledge the news might be disappointing for the public. The group said while they will pause the festival in 2026, they remain committed to the community.

"The Gilbert Community Club's mission has always been to promote the welfare of our community and make the greater Gilbert community a better place in which to live," they said. "That mission continues, and we will actively explore other ways to bring our community together throughout the year. "

"Thank you for your understanding, and we look forward to celebrating together in the future."

Lexington County, S.C. – Lexington County authorities are warning residents about romance scams ahead of Valentine’s Day.

According to a social media post from the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department, scammers frequently use online dating platforms and social media to target victims, particularly around holidays associated with relationships.

The department shared several tips to help residents avoid becoming victims. Officials advised users to be cautious about the personal information they share on social media, noting scammers can use those details to build trust and tailor fraudulent stories.

Authorities also recommend conducting reverse image searches of profile photos to determine whether pictures have been used elsewhere online. Another common red flag, officials said, involves individuals who promise to meet in person but repeatedly cancel or offer excuses.

The sheriff’s department emphasized one key rule: never send money to someone you have not met in person. Scammers often request funds for travel expenses, medical emergencies, or other urgent situations.

Romance scams can result in significant financial losses and emotional distress. According to federal consumer protection agencies, victims nationwide report losing millions of dollars annually to online dating fraud schemes.

The reminder comes as Valentine’s Day approaches, a time when online dating activity typically increases. Young adults, college students and new app users may be especially vulnerable as they expand their social connections online.

Authorities encourage anyone who believes they have been targeted by a scam to contact local law enforcement and report the incident to appropriate consumer protection agencies.

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