The quake could be felt in parts of the Carolinas, Alabama, Kentucky, Georgia and Virginia, according to early data from USGS.

The quake hit around 9 a.m. local time, about 13 miles from Greenback, Tennessee, which is about 30 miles south of Knoxville, the U.S. Geological Survey said.

An earthquake of 4.1 magnitude has been reported in Tennessee and was felt in Atlanta, Georgia, and western North Carolina. That is according to the U.S.