06.23.2023

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Today’s Forecast

42º | Cloudy | 0% chance of precipitation
Sunrise 7:40 a.m. | Sunset 5:30 p.m.

What to know about WNC’s earthquakes

A series of earthquakes shake WNC

Mountains in the distance that look blue, with two close up leafy plants in front.

Evidence of earthquakes is seen in faults across the Appalachian Mountains. | Photo by @gvl.girl

Within the past 30 days, eight earthquakes have shaken the West Canton area. Although all of these instances have been minor, our neck of the woods is considered a medium hazard zone for seismic activity. But what exactly does that mean? We’ll take a crack at it.

First things first

An earthquake occurs when pieces of the Earth’s outermost layer slip on a fracture between two blocks of rock, causing the ground to shake.

Going deeper

The area experiences frequent small earthquakes despite not being situated on an active tectonic boundary. So why do they occur? Dr. Casey King, a lecturer of Environmental Studies at UNC Asheville, shares that the answer isn’t so simple.

Asheville rests on the edge of the Eastern Tennessee Fault Zone, which stretches from northeastern Alabama to southeastern Kentucky. Within this region, the major faults follow the direction of the Appalachian Mountains.

“The earthquakes that we see kind of line up with some ancient faulting in the basement rock,” Dr. King shares. “We know that they’re from different mountain-building events that made the Appalachian Mountains over the past billion years or so.” However, these ancient faults are now inactive. So what could be a cause of Canton’s shallow earthquakes? Erosion.

Heavy buildup of rocks on top of the lower crust can cause the Earth underneath to bend and warp. “And usually, when you get a break, it does take advantage of old weaknesses along old faults below the surface,” adds Dr. King.

Staying safe

Although the seismic activity in our area is minor and rarely causes damage, it’s important to know how to stay safe during an earthquake.

If you’re inside, stay inside. Get under a desk or table to protect your head and neck from falling objects.
If you’re outside, find an open space away from anything that might fall on you.

Events

Friday, June 23

Faun Fables + Toybox Theatre | Friday, June 23 | 8 p.m. | Girl and Goblin, 375 Depot St. #201, Asheville | $20 | Join the folk rock storytellers for a one-of-a-kind evening of music and puppetry.
Papadosio’s Summer SEEquence | Friday, June 23-Saturday, June 24 | 5 p.m. | Salvage Station, 468 Riverside Dr., Asheville | $25-$150 | See the psychedelic rock band during its three-night run with plenty of musical guests.

Saturday, June 24

Enka-Candler’s MIDSUMMER MARKET | Saturday, June 24 | 11 a.m.-5 p.m. | A-B Tech Small Business Center, 1465 Sand Hill Rd., Candler | Free | Head to this inaugural market to shop local art, food, body care, clothing, crafts, and gifts.
Celtic Festival | Saturday, June 24 | 12-7 p.m. | Turgua Brewing Company, 3131 Cane Creek Rd., Fairview | Free | Enjoy food from The Scarlet Bee and Wicked Good Pretzels while browsing goods from local artisans and jamming to live music.
Give To The Music Benefit Concert | Saturday, June 24 | 6:30 p.m. | The Orange Peel, 101 Biltmore Ave., Asheville | $15 | Join Asheville Rock Academy in supporting music education in WNC — plus, purchase raffle tickets for your chance to win a guitar signed by Kevin Bacon.

Sunday, June 25

Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue and Ziggy Marley | Sunday, June 25 | 6 p.m. | Salvage Station, 468 Riverside Dr., Asheville | $65-$70 | See the performers alongside powerhouse Mavis Staples and the legendary Robert Randolph.

Monday, June 26

Freshen Up Comedy Open Mic | Monday, June 26-Monday, Dec. 25 | 6:30-8 p.m. | Noble Cider Downtown, 49 Rankin Ave., Asheville | Free | Share your best jokes to this stand-up event, or sit back and enjoy the improv, sketch, and musical comedy.

Events calendar here

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News Notes

Open

Appalachian Mountain Brewery is celebrating the opening of its new taproom located at 46 N. Mills River Rd. Today through Sunday, the brewery will ring in the new location with live music and commemorative pint glasses. Grand opening celebrations will ensue today and Saturday from 12-10 p.m. and Sunday from 12-9 p.m.

Cause

Join the Grove Arcade and Blue Ridge Pride for its Blue Ridge PROUD donor campaign celebration. The free community event will take place on the anniversary of Stonewall, June 28, from 6 to 8 p.m. in the Grove Arcade Atrium. Enjoy live jazz, light bites, and drinks. Reserve your spot.

Outdoors

Planning on going swimming for the Fourth of July weekend? Ensure your favorite swimming hole is safe to splash around in with the Swim Guide, courtesy of local environmental group, MountainTrue. Its staff collects samples from 96 popular recreation spots to test for harmful microbes.

Concert

Head to the Blue Ridge Parkway Visitor Center this Sunday at 2 p.m. for the free Milepost Music session. Bring blankets and lawn chairs to enjoy tunes from Barrett Davis while surrounded by picturesque views.

Eat

On July 16, Heritage Fire will bring 22 local chefs together at Horse Shoe Farm to create globally-inspired bites over an open flame. After tasting the culinary creations, the crowd will determine its favorite bite and the winning chef will be crowned the Heritage Hero. Find tickets.

Edu

Duke University will offer free tuition to North and South Carolina undergraduate students with family incomes of $150,000 or less starting this fall. Duke will also provide additional financial assistance for undergraduate students with family incomes of $65,000 or less. The university plans to use existing resources to fund the initiative. (The News & Observer)

Wellness

This line of natural adaptogen supplements is formulated to help you achieve specific outcomes, like: Clarity (entering flow state), Energy (powering through busy days), Motivation (to stop procrastinating), and Logic (for deep, analytical thinking). Take their quiz to find your perfect blend and get 15% off with code 6amcity.*

Finance

Refinance rates are skyrocketing. But home equity rates remain relatively low — which means that now is a great time to borrow against your home. Calculate your payment.*

Correction

In yesterday’s newsletter, we incorrectly stated that Asheville City Schools requested teacher pay be increased from $15 per hour to $20 per hour. That request does not pertain to teachers, but to employees who are not in certified positions.

Shoutout

Happy birthday, AVLtoday member Aylin Collier. We hope your special day (June 27) is filled with all of your favorite things in Asheville! — AVLtoday team

Shoutouts allow us to celebrate job promotions, anniversaries, and exciting experiences right here in Asheville. Become a AVLtoday member today to reserve your shoutout and celebrate with tens of thousands of locals.

Become a member, get benefits

The Wrap

Today’s edition by:
Grace

From the editor

I’m especially excited to check out Appalachian Mountain Brewery’s new Mills River taproom this weekend. As an App State grad, its Boone location was one of my favorite spots to grab a beer.

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