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Independence Elementary School and Grayson County Schools closed Tuesday after minor earthquake

As of 11 a.m. Tuesday, there are no reports of damage

GRAYSON COUNTY, Va. – A magnitude 2.6 earthquake was detected in Grayson County shortly before 5:30 a.m. Tuesday.

No injuries or damage have been reported at this time, according to the Grayson County Sheriff’s Office. It’s unusual to have any significant damage with an earthquake of this magnitude.

One viewer emailed 10 News from Baywood saying they heard a loud boom. They also mentioned the floors and windows shaking.

“It was like somebody put a bomb off outside my house,” said Grayson County Public Schools Superintendent Kelly Wilmore.

The nearby seismograph at Virginia Tech detected the wave unleashed beneath the surface by the earthquake.

Seismograph reading at Virginia Tech following Grayson County earthquake
Earthquake in Grayson County reported at 5:25 a.m. Tuesday

In 2020, three schools were damaged in Grayson County after an earthquake. The damage came after an August 2020 5.1 magnitude earthquake in Sparta, North Carolina.

Independence Elementary School received the most damage from the earthquake, but according to the structural engineer at the time, the school was safe with the cracks as they are.

There were multiple cracks on the walls of the stage in the gym and cracks on the walls in multiple classrooms.

The structural engineer recommended keeping an eye on the cracks on the inside, possibly using a gauge to keep track of any expansion of the cracks.

“Main thing we were worried about is where we had damage two years ago which was our high school gym,” said Wilmore.

Classes will resume Wednesday.

10 News is working for you to learn more about today’s earthquake. If there is any additional information to share, we will do so on-air, online, and on our app.


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