Yes, Atlanta, that was an earthquake - likely one of the strongest we’ve experienced.

Residents from across the metro area jolted awake may have wondered if they were imagining things, but the magnitude 4.4 event was real. The U.S. Geological Survey reported that it emanated from east Tennessee, where it was the second-strongest on record, at about 4:15 a.m.

» MORE: Why Atlanta felt an earthquake that struck in Tennessee

The highest magnitude earthquake previously recorded in Georgia since 1974 was a 4.3 magnitude event in Lincoln County. Whitfield County experienced a 4.2 magnitude temblor in 1984.

Georgia hadn’t broken 4.0 since then and hadn’t broken 3.0 since 2009 - until Wednesday morning. This map shows its reach:

While we might not think of Georgia as quake country, the ground does shake now and then. More than three dozen earthquakes of magnitude 2.5 or greater have occurred in Georgia since 1974, according to an Atlanta Journal-Constitution analysis of data from the U.S. Geological Survey.

Information compiled by AJC data journalist Jennifer Peebles found 40 earthquakes with center points inside Georgia's boundaries. The counties with the most quakes since 1974 were Walker and Whitfield in northwest Georgia, with six each, followed by Lincoln and Hancock, with five each.

Naturally, people immediately took to social media after being shaken out of their slumber on Wednesday. The Atlanta Braves won the Internet with their response:

And here’s what other folks had to say:

About the Author

Keep Reading

The Georgia military installation near Columbus will hold a ceremony Wednesday for renaming itself after World War I hero Fred Benning.

Featured

Protestors demonstrate against the war in Gaza and the detention of Columbia University student Mahmoud Khalil at Emory University in Atlanta on March 20, 2025. The 30-year-old legal U.S. resident was detained by federal immigration agents in March. An Atlanta-based law firm has filed a lawsuit against the federal government arguing it illegally terminated the immigration records of five international students and two alumni from Georgia colleges, including one from Emory University. (Arvin Temkar / AJC)

Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com