Washington , DC. Earthquake

[RedJohn]

I just got a report of an apparent earthquake rocking Washington , DC. We're told a level 6.

Any confirmation on this report?

[RedJohn]

Update at 2:15 p.m. ET: "It scared the heck out of me, I'm still shaking," said Joan Morris, spokewoman for the northern district of the Virginia Department of Transportation. A few minutes after the quake, there were no reports of damage to roads or bridges in the state, Morris said.

Update at 2:13 p.m. ET: The USGS now puts the magnitude of the quake at 5.9.

Update at 2:12 p.m. ET: The quake could be felt in McLean, Va., headquarters of USA TODAY. It caused the building to sway. Some items could be heard falling from shelves. A number of employees went left the building.

Update at 2:10 p.m. ET: NBC reports that the quake was centered nine miles from Mineral, Va., which is 100 miles south of Washington, D.C.

Says Doug Kammerer, meteorlogist with the NBC affiliate in Washington, calls the tremor a "very big earthquake for our area."

The quake struck around 1:15 p.m. ET and lasted for about 30 to 45 seconds.

There have been no reports of injuries or widespread damage.

Update at 2p.m. ET: Reuters reports a 6.0 magnitude earthquake centered near Mineral, Va., rocked the mid-Atlantic states and was felt as far north at Manhattan and as far south as North Carolina.

Update at 1:57 p.m. ET:The Associated Press reports that the Pentagon is being evacuated.

An apparent earthquake rocks Washington, D.C. area.

Fox news reports that several public buildings, including the Capitol, have been evacuated.

[piranha2]

What the hell? An unknown fault line? And just ahead of the hurricane.

[Stg1swret]

Yep, 5.9 actually fairly shallow. Had to laugh when it hit had just gotten to work. The sheeple were in a panic. Cell phones unable to get through due to everyone trying to call. No real damage just a lot of shaking. I work in New Castle , Delaware. Bridge near here was swaying pretty good according to one of the women who works here and was driving across it at the time. Highway departments will be busy checking bridges and overpasses for damage.

[piranha2]

From Fox news. Near Mineral, Va. and 3 miles below sea level. Wow.


An unusually strong magnitude 5.8 earthquake struck central Virginia Tuesday afternoon and sent tremors along the East Coast, which prompted office buildings from Washington D.C. to New York to be evacuated.

There were no immediate reports of injury or serious structural damage.

The earthquake struck near Mineral, Va., more than three miles below sea level, the U.S. Geological Survey said. Mineral is town 83 miles from D.C. and has been known for its seismic activity, but seldom produces a substantial earthquake.

Most of downtown D.C. was evacuated, including the U.S. Capitol, the Pentagon and other office buildings. Pictures on the wall in the Capitol building reportedly fell and panicked workers ran to the exits, apparently fearing a 9/11-style attack. Workers were initially told not to re-enter the buildings, but were later allowed to enter the Capitol building.

Marine helicopters were seen hovering above the D.C, and there were reports that the Washington Monument may be tilting.

The press corp with President Obama in Martha's Vineyard said they felt slight shaking. Obama told reporters that he did not feel the tremor. Attorney General Eric Holder has been evacuated from the Department of Justice.

Obama and many of the nation's leaders were out of town on August vacation when the quake struck at 1:51 p.m. local time.

"People pouring out of buildings and onto the sidewalks and Into Farragut Park in downtown DC...," GOP strategist Kevin Madden tweeted, MyFoxDC.com reported.

At Reagan National Airport outside Washington, ceiling tiles fell during a few seconds of shaking. Authorities put all flights on hold.

A spokesman for Washington National Cathedral said at least three of the four pinnacles on the central tower have fallen off and the central tower appears to be leaning.

New York also felt tremors from the earthquake.

Buildings in New York City shook briefly and the FBI building was evacuated. Flights resumed at John F. Kennedy International Airport and Newark Airport, where control towers were previously evacuated. Evacuations were demanded as north as Canada.

Federal officials say two nuclear reactors were taken offline near quake site in Virginia; there was no damage reported. Indian Point, a power plant in New York, said on Twitter that there are no issues at the facility.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) said in a statement that it is monitoring the situation and in "close contact" with federal and state partners.

The East Coast gets earthquakes, but usually smaller ones and is less prepared than California or Alaska for shaking. The Washington area has had small, infrequent earthquakes over the years, including a 2.5-magnitude quake in 1997 that was within 25 to 30 miles of Friday's quake and a 2.3-magnitude quake in 1996 that was within 15 miles

Phone companies said they are being overwhelmed with phone calls, but said none of their infrastructure have been damaged.

FEMA requested that the public use e-mail or text messages in non-emergency cases so emergency officials can continue to receive and respond to urgent calls.

U.S. weather service says no tsunami expected after East Coast.

Subways in New York have not been affected, but the Metro in D.C. has been cancelled.

Amtrak said its trains along the Northeast Corridor between Baltimore and Washington were operating at reduced speeds and crews were inspecting stations and railroad infrastructure before returning to normal.

Read more: Magnitude 5.8 Earthquake Hits Virginia, Sends Shockwaves Throughout East Coast | FoxNews.com (http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/08/23/magnitude-58-earthquake-hits-virginia-sends-shockwaves-throughout-east-coast/#ixzz1VuF5ZHA6)

[mitunnelrat]

What the hell? An unknown fault line? And just ahead of the hurricane.

I thought much the same thing when I first heard. Apparently the Carolinas didnt' feel too much of this though.

[RedJohn]

What the hell? An unknown fault line? And just ahead of the hurricane.

Someone made me laugh today. He said that Washington was at this time located onthe Bush fault and it was the reason for the quake.

[piranha2]

That makes me laugh too. we will see how they spin it to blame him.

[TEOTWAWKI13]

I read today that the earthquake was caused by all the founding fathers rolling over in their graves simultaneously.