ATLANTA — Georgia has seen its fair share of thunderstorms and tornadoes, but many were shook when a 4.4 magnitude earthquake in central Tennessee woke them at 4:15 a.m. Wednesday.
The quake was recorded near Decatur, Tenn., about 150 miles north of downtown Atlanta.
But just how common are earthquakes in the Peach State?
[RELATED: Early morning earthquake rattles Georgia; More aftershocks possible]
These natural disasters are more prevalent in three major zones of the Earth - the circum-Pacific seismic belt, the Alpide and the mid-Atlantic ridge.
However, more than three dozen earthquakes of magnitude 2.5 or greater have occurred in Georgia since 1974, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Yet, the state doesn’t have that many quakes compared to other areas.
The largest Georgia quake ever recorded happened in 1916. It was a 4.1 magnitude earthquake about 30 miles from Atlanta.
[RELATED: 10 things to know about earthquake that rattled Georgia]
On the other hand, Alaska, Oklahoma and California register the most earthquakes in a given year, according to the USGS. In 2014, there were 585 M3 or greater earthquakes in Oklahoma and about 200 in California, government records show.
The largest Oklahoma quake ever recorded happened 2011. It was a 5.7 magnitude earthquake.
Georgia still has a number of fault lines, though. That’s where most earthquakes occur.
The Brevard Fault Line, the best-known one, runs from Blue Ridge to Marietta. The Soque River Fault follows the Sogue River in the Northeast, and Salacoa Creek is in Northwest Cherokee County.
[RELATED: Georgia reacts to the rare earthquake]
This article was written by Najja Parker, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.