On August 31 , 1886 , Charleston was nearly destroyed by an earthquake . The shock was estimated to have a moment magnitude of 7.0 and a maximum Mercalli intensity of X ( '' Extreme '' ) . It was felt as far away as Boston to the north , Chicago and Milwaukee to the northwest , as far west as New Orleans , as far south as Cuba , and as far east as Bermuda . It damaged 2,000 buildings in Charleston and caused $ 6 million worth of damage ( $ million in dollars ) , at a time when all the city 's buildings were valued around $ 24 million ( $ million in dollars )
Charleston was nearly destroyed
1886 Charleston earthquake
Charleston, South Carolina