A very shallow magnitude 2.6 earthquake was reported in the evening near Cullowhee, Jackson County, North Carolina, USA.According to the United States Geological Survey, the quake hit on Monday, March 23rd, 2026, at 8:04 pm local time at a very shallow depth of 0.1 miles. Shallow earthquakes are felt more strongly than deeper ones as they are closer to the surface. The exact magnitude, epicenter, and depth of the quake might be revised within the next few hours or minutes as seismologists review data and refine their calculations, or as other agencies issue their report.Our monitoring service identified a second report from the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) which listed the quake at magnitude 2.5. A third agency, The Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology (IRIS), reported the same quake at magnitude 2.7.Towns or cities near the epicenter where the quake might have been felt as very weak shaking include Webster (pop. 380) located 7 miles from the epicenter, Sylva (pop. 2,600) 7 miles away, Cullowhee (pop. 6,200) 8 miles away, and Franklin (pop. 3,900) 9 miles away. In Bryson City (pop. 1,500, 12 miles away), Cherokee (pop. 2,100, 12 miles away), and Waynesville (pop. 9,800, 23 miles away), the quake was probably not felt.Earthquake data: Date & time: Mar 23, 2026 08:04 pm (GMT -4) local time (24 Mar 2026 00:04 GMT)Magnitude: 2.6Depth: 0.14 kmEpicenter latitude / longitude: 35.29°N / 83.32°W (Macon County, North Carolina, United States)Primary data source: USGS