Local residents in Ontario County say they felt a 5.8 magnitude earthquake today that was centered northwest of Richmond, Va., and shook much of Washington, D.C. it was felt as far north as Rhode Island and New York City, and preliminary reports indicate it was felt in areas of Western New York.
Many in Ontario County say they felt the quake earlier today.
Greg Morey, a surveillance officer at the Finger Lakes Race Track, said he and others felt the quake at about 2 p.m.
"we were just sitting there and it just felt like the chairs were wobbling a bit, and we looked up at the monitors on the wall and could see them shaking," said Morey. "we had a gathering here of people coming in the hallway saying, 'did anyone else feel that'?"
A few locals also responded on Messenger Post's Facebook page, saying they felt the tremor in Honeoye, Palmyra, West Bloomfield, and Phelps.
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. parts of the Pentagon, White House and Capitol were evacuated. the quake was in Mineral, Va., in Louisa County.
Second year in a row Tuesday’s temblor marks the second straight year seismic activity has been felt locally. A 5.0 magnitude earthquake centered 40 miles north of Ottawa was felt from Buffalo to Albany and into Vermont last June 23. “People started popping up from their cubicles like gophers,” said Farmington resident Randy Compton from his workplace at the 30-story Xerox tower in downtown Rochester following the 2010 quake. Retired Newark science teacher Brad Timerson at the time that said the reason people feel various levels of movement from a quake when they are far from the epicenter is because areas near or on bedrock tend to conduct the energy from the quake, making the movement more noticeable. Where the soil is more sandy, people tend not to feel it, as the sand soaks up the energy. as with yesterday’s tremors, no injuries or damage were reported locally.
Did you feel the quake? Let us know on our Facebook page, or call us at (585) 394-0770, ext. 322 or email mpoe@messengerpostmedia.com.
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