On this day in Alabama history: Alabama shook the South

April 29, 2003

On this day in 2003, Alabama was the epicenter of an earthquake that was felt in 11 states.

The quake happened in the early-morning hours of April 29, 2003, measuring 4.6 on the Richter scale. Some measurements pegged it as high as a 4.9, and the duration of the quake varied from 10 seconds up to 45 seconds. The quake occurred in the Eastern Tennessee Seismic Zone, which is not associated with the more active (and more infamous) New Madrid Fault.

The center of the action was northeast of Fort Payne, near the Georgia state line, and opened up a nearly 30-foot wide sinkhole. Numerous buildings and homes sustained damage from the quake, which was felt as far away as Indiana and Kentucky.

Read more at Wikipedia.

Brent Bentley stands in his yard near his earthquake-damaged chimney. It collapsed when an earthquake rocked the town of Valley Head. The earthquake, which measured 4.6 on the Richter scale, occurred on April 29, 2003, and was felt by people in 11 states in the Southeast. (From Encyclopedia of Alabama, courtesy of Philip Barr, the Birmingham News)

A 29-foot sinkhole that formed as a result of the 2003 earthquake, northwest Fort Payne. (thefullwiki.org)

Epicenter of the 2003 earthquake. (USGS, Wikipedia)

For more on Alabama’s Bicentennial, visit Alabama 200.