Magnitude 5.8 quake hits Virginia, felt in New York, Washington

Washington » A
5.8 magnitude earthquake centered northwest of Richmond, Va., shook much
of Washington, D.C., and was felt as far north as Rhode Island and New
York City.



The U.S. Geological Survey said the
earthquake was 3.7 miles deep. Shaking was felt at the White House and
all over the East Coast, as far south as Chapel Hill, N.C.



At the U.S. Capitol, light fixtures swung and the building shook for about 15 seconds while the tremor hit, NBC News reported.

In New York City, NBC reported debris fell
from the attorney general’s office, causing a brief panic as people ran
from the area.

At Reagan National Airport outside
Washington, ceiling tiles fell during a few seconds of shaking.
Authorities announced it was an earthquake and all flights were put on
hold.




Parts of the Pentagon, White House and Capitol were evacuated. The quake was in Mineral, Va., in Louisa County.



Obama and many of the nation’s leaders were
out of town on August vacation when the quake struck at 1:51 p.m. EDT.
The shaking was felt on the Martha’s Vineyard golf course as Obama was
just starting a round.

The East Coast gets earthquakes, but usually smaller ones and is less prepared than California or Alaska for shaking.




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