an extinct fault line called the brevard fault runs roughly parallel to the chattahoochee river, but as its last movements were apparently prehistoric, it is considered extinct and not a threat to the region. still, minor earthquakes do rattle the area (and all of georgia) occasionally. one notable one was in april 2003 (magnitude 4.6) coming from the northwest, its epicenter just across the state line in northeastern alabama. while many people slept through the 5 quake, it caused a minor panic in others completely unaware of what was happening. similar earthquakes occur in this region called the eastern tennessee seismic zone, often felt much more widely across the stronger crust of eastern north america as compared to the west. thus, the 1886 charleston, south carolina earthquake was also felt in atlanta and throughout the southeast. it caused damage as far as central alabama and west virginia. two small earthquakes were also felt on the southeast side near eatonton in early april 2009. the new madrid seismic zone (near the missouri-tennessee borders) and the seismic zone producing the 1886 magnitude 7.3 earthquake are still capable of producing moderate or major earthquakes, which the entire atlanta area will feel moderately or even strongly.