Largest quake in 100 years strikes Virginia

On Tuesday, Virginia experienced the largest earthquake in its history since 1897. The 5.8 magnitude quake struck just after 2 PM EDT, and was felt as far north as Toronto, Canada and Atlanta, Georgia. No injuries or deaths were reported.

WASHINGTON, DC (Catholic Online) - Power and cellular service were disrupted by the quake and locations near the epicenter, Mineral, VA, suffered some damage. There, cracks appeared in walls and several brick chimneys were toppled.

People in cities from Richmond to Washington DC to New York evacuated buildings and spilled out onto streets. Despite the initial fear that the shaking could have been caused by terrorism, the crowds did not panic and people cautiously returned to work or went home by 4 PM. 

The quake is unusual because such large quakes do not occur in the relatively stable region of the eastern US. Still quakes do occur and because of the nature of the geology, they are felt over wide areas. Statements issued by the USGS indicated the quake was widely felt because the bedrock is unbroken and cold, unlike rock in states like California, which is fractured by the movement of the Earth's tectonic plates. The relative coldness of the rock also served to widely transmit the energy of the quake.

As of 3:30 PM EDT, statements were issued by Mayor Bloomberg and President Obama's staff. People were encouraged to resume their business but were warned of the likelihood of aftershocks. Officials assured people of safety but urged inspections of buildings and other sensitive facilities.

Near the epicenter, dams were expected and most notably, a nuclear power plant took its reactors offline for a short period, as a precautionary measure. After inspections, officials reported no problems or concerns with any of those facilities.
Flights were temporarily delayed out of major airports, including JFK in New York. 

In a separate seismic event, a 5.3 quake struck southern Colorado early Tuesday morning. That quake was the largest in the region in 40 years. No damage or injuries aside from rockslides were reported.

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