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Minor earthquake recorded Sunday in middle Georgia

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MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. — A small earthquake shook middle Georgia before dawn Sunday.

The U.S. Geological Survey reports that 2.3 magnitude quake struck just north of Milledgeville.

The temblor was recorded around 3:30 a.m. Sunday. No damage was reported

The most powerful earthquake to hit Georgia in decades struck in June, a 3.9 magnitude tremor that was centered east of Stillmore, a town between Macon and Savannah. People reported shaking across much of Georgia and South Carolina, including in Atlanta and Columbia, South Carolina.

Earthquakes usually have to be of a magnitude of 5 or more before causing damage. Every 1-point increase on the scale represents an earthquake 32 times stronger.

Most of North America east of the Rocky Mountains has infrequent earthquakes. An earthquake in Charleston, South Carolina in 1886 damaged about 2,000 buildings and killed 60 people. Modern estimates have placed its magnitude between 6.9 and 7.3.