Small earthquake strikes northeast Georgia

GORDON COUNTY, Ga. - Residents in northeast Georgia had some scary moments Friday after an earthquake struck the area.

The  United States Geological Survey's Earthquake Hazards Programs reported a 2.7 magnitude quake shook parts of the area.

Thankfully nobody's home was damaged as a result of the earthquake, but many residents were shaken up.

"All of a sudden we hear this loud boom and this whole house shook, the windows shook, pictures on the wall shook and I thought 'What was that?!'" Calhoun resident Paula Wheaton told FOX 5's Alexa Liacko.

Jose Santamaria, the executive director of the Tellus Science Museum, says a 2.7 quake can make a loud sound as the earth moves, but these tremors aren't too common.

"There's really no pattern but the only indication we have is that there are a lot of faults in Georgia," Santamaria said. "They're not the kind of fault that make the big quakes in a California, but they do produce small tremors on occasion, but there's really nothing to worry about."

Even though their homes weren't damaged, neighbors say all the shaking was a little scary. 

"I was waiting for a cannonball to come through the house," Calhoun resident Kent Hilburn said. "I was like dang I didn't think this was California!"

The Gordon County Sheriff and Emergency Management Services say they got no reports of damage and no injuries from the quake.