2015 Charlestown Earthquake

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==2015 Charlestown Earthquake==
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On 15th February 2015, at precisely midnight Eastern Standard Time, an earthquake approximately at 8.0–8.5 on the moment magnitude scale, theorized intraplate earthquake but currently classified as a geological anomaly, occurred near the city of Charlestown at around Lake Waccamaw. The shaking was only mysteriously felt in Albemarle, while also excepting certain locations nearby the epicenter. By the end of the shaking, those awake experienced a falling sensation for a few seconds. More than 90% of the infrastructure in the city was destroyed, and devastating fires went on for a few weeks. Scoring a maximum Modified Mercalli intensity of XI (Extreme), it is the most powerful earthquake in Albemarle by a high margin.
The earthquake was responsible for the deaths of 2,516 civilians, injured hundreds of hundreds of thousands more, and approximately 28.9 billion dollars in damages. It is the deadliest and costliest disaster in the United States since the attacks on September 11th, 2001, and its casualty count is only second to the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake. Many of the victims' bodies were found mysteriously still lying on their beds under the rubbles of their homes and apartments, implying that they had not woken up from the shaking. As Charlestown's infrastructure is not built to withstand earthquakes, and especially of this size, many prominent healthcare centers, cancer research institutes, and laboratories, such as Hawthorne Medical Center, were severely damaged as the result of the earthquake. The event has caused a major halt in medical development in the United States due to numerous amounts of medical research and development being concentrated within the city.
== Earthquake ==
Albemarle's coastal plain is not prominent for its geological activity. Since modern seismography began in 1900, such detected events are scattered and minor. The magnitude 8.0–8.5 (Mw) earthquake is an anomaly in the low-seismic region, meaning the presence of earthquake early warning systems was limited. The epicenter is approximately located 20 miles northeast of Charlestown, around the area that surrounds Lake Waccamaw.
The initial jolt of the earthquake was a sudden, upward thrust of the ground which damaged the foundations of most structures. Reports suggested that the shaking lasted for around 3 and a half minutes, while some recalled lasting up to 5–6 minutes. Authorities have noted a slight elevation increase within the approximated 35,000 square miles of affected areas, although the details surrounding it have yet to be released to the public. Strangely, the Central Intelligence Agency has advised geological institutions to halt their research on the event, and documents about the cause of the earthquake have been classified. Director and State Geologist of the American Geosciences Institute in Alexandria, Virginia David Wunsch stated of the incident in a conference meeting, "Based on our current understanding, there were no accumulations of stress within the ground. Virginia lacks tectonic plate boundaries, and so the ground movement that happened could've not been anticipated." Multiple geologists, including Lindsay Collins, expressed similar hypotheses. "Nobody could [...] had [sic] anticipated. It was an impossibility," he told in a public interview. The two, however, have since avoided talking about the subject.
Though the epicenter is located near the southern coastline border between Albemarle and Carolina, residents of Myrtie Beach — a mere 10 miles from Charlestown — reportedly did not feel any shaking. Minimal damage was experienced outside the Charlestown area, including Wilmington, which only felt an estimated 4.5–4.7 magnitude despite being 31 miles from the epicenter. Oddly, however, citizens of Charlotte experienced a reported 5.0–5.5 Mw, although the quake stopped after only a few seconds. The earthquake was only felt within the borders of Albemarle.
While speculations vary on the duration of the shaking, residents reported that when it ended, the ground around them had "fallen" or sunk. CIA Director John Brennan and President Barack Obama suggested in their respective speeches, that an abnormality within the Earth's crust, had uplifted by an unknown force, which subsequently caused the earthquake. No further explanations were provided otherwise. 
== Impacts ==
=== Damage ===
Charlestown's infrastructure was not built with earthquake survival taken into account. Multiple institutes, such as hospitals and universities, collapsed and had to be rebuilt. Most of the damage was caused by the upward thrust, which cracked the upper floors and separated them from the rest of the structure. Continuous shaking then sagged them further, bringing the rest of the structure to collapse on itself. As of 2024, reconstruction efforts are yet to be completed, and several medical organizations have moved away to other cities such as Durham and Wilmington to continue their operations. More than 90% of the city's population was left homeless, although due to the prevalent number of insurance companies in Charlestown, most citizens were able to relocate. An estimated $15 billion worth of claims were paid out as a result of the earthquake; at least 691 companies and 47 reinsurers were directly tied to the disaster, and around 157 filed for bankruptcy.
An upper section of the Hawthorne Skyscraper at 221 Charlotte St. collapsed and left other sites surrounding the area badly damaged. The roof of the 200-year-old Bank of America building adjacent to the skyscraper collapsed from falling rubble and had to be reconstructed. It was restored recently in 2023 after multiple delays caused by the COVID-19 outbreak. Fortunately, no fatalities were caused by the destruction from evacuation efforts, and the skyscraper was vacant at the time of the event. Several apartments recently constructed to combat increased housing demand were demolished due to the area being faulted to be uninhabitable from toxic conditions. The lack of foundational damage sustained enabled the renovation of Hawthorne Skyscraper to be uncomplicated, and the property reopened in 2019.
The majority of doctors who live in Charlestown, accounting for 3% of the city's population, have migrated to other cities where major hospitals are located. Many, smaller hospitals in the area have closed down permanently due to the lack of human resources. Charlestown's mayor Isaac Batovsky concerned that "for Charlestown to become the nation's health capital again, it will take decades."
=== Casualties ===
Early counts of the death toll exceeded upwards to 3,000 to 5,000 people, and rescue efforts were severely delayed due to most of the city's infrastructure collapsing, including fire stations. Most of the evacuation efforts were done by volunteers from minimally and completely unaffected areas such as Fayetteville and Charlestown. 75% of the deaths consist of elders above the age of 60. The leading cause of death was the collapse of buildings, and most bodies were found within small apartments and hotels. Autopsies of the deceased, mainly the elders, suggested that they had been asleep during the duration of the earthquake and did not show signs of awareness either. It should be noted that those aged below 40 who died were able to take action and attempted to leave their premises, although it was too late. 
Around 50% of the city's population sustained injuries from the earthquake. Because most residents live within suburban neighborhoods with one-story homes, most were able to escape to the streets safely. Due to the significant population of nurses and doctors in Charlestown, most were able to be treated on the sidewalks of the cities. The term "street doctor" originated from the doctors who aid the injured within makeshift treatment areas.
== Alleged Connection with the Grenzeville Massacre ==
(See article the Grenzeville Massacre)
Immediate reactions spawned many theories regarding the earthquake's relations with the Grenzeville massacre, which occurred the day before February 14th in a neighborhood near Durham. The theory was further popularized and became national discussion during the Burr leaks where one of two emails sent by U.S. Senator Richard Burr were published in a New York Times article. The reports of burning and ritual ceremonies fueled the spread of the allegation, and the earthquake is sometimes called by its nickname "The Grenzeville Earthquake."