Key keywords: Irmo earthquake 2024, USGS earthquake report, South Carolina seismic activity, Lexington County tremor, East Coast minor earthquake, Columbia South Carolina felt earthquake, Irmo seismic event, USGS National Earthquake Information Center The United States Geological Survey (USGS) confirmed a minor seismic event was detected 3 miles northwest of Irmo, a small residential town in Lexington County, South Carolina, at 11:47 PM local time on May 22, 2024. Initial data from the USGS National Earthquake Information Center shows the earthquake registered a magnitude of 2.8, with a hypocenter depth of 5.2 kilometers below the Earth’s surface, classifying it as Level III on the Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale. This rating means the tremor is felt noticeably by people indoors, especially those on upper floors of multi-story buildings, but almost never causes structural damage to residential or commercial property. As of 10 AM local time the following day, the Lexington County Emergency Management Department reported no formal claims of property damage, infrastructure failure, or personal injuries related to the tremor. More than 420 residents across 12 nearby zip codes submitted felt reports to the USGS online portal, with responses spanning from downtown Columbia, 11 miles southeast of the epicenter, to the shores of Lake Murray, 6 miles west of Irmo. Many residents noted they initially mistook the shaking for heavy construction work, a large passing commercial truck, or even a tree falling on their property, before local news outlets and USGS mobile alerts confirmed the seismic origin. Seismologists from the University of South Carolina noted that while seismic activity is far less frequent on the U.S. East Coast than along the West Coast’s San Andreas Fault system, small tremors of magnitude 2.0 to 3.5 are recorded in South Carolina an average of 2 to 3 times per year, most originating from ancient fault lines deep beneath the Coastal Plain and Piedmont regions. The USGS has deployed two temporary seismograph stations near the Irmo epicenter to monitor for potential aftershocks in the coming two weeks, though researchers note aftershocks for a quake this small are highly unlikely to exceed magnitude 2.0, and will likely be undetectable to most residents. Local emergency management officials have also issued a public advisory reminding residents to secure heavy furniture, wall-mounted decor, and stored chemicals in their homes as a precautionary measure for any future seismic events, regardless of predicted magnitude.