Tuesday, August 23rd, 2011 | BNO News
WASHINGTON, D.C. (BNO NEWS) — a strong earthquake struck the U.S. state of Virginia on early Tuesday afternoon, seismologists said, with shaking felt in Washington, D.C. and New York City.
The 5.9-magnitude earthquake at 1.51 p.m. local time (1751 GMT) was centered about 4 miles (6 kilometers) south-southeast of Louisa, Virginia. it struck about 0.6 mile (1 kilometer) deep, making it a very shallow earthquake, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS).
Strong shaking was felt over a large area, including Washington, D.C. and New York City. Numerous buildings were immediately evacuated, including the White House, the Pentagon, and the U.S. Capitol. City Hall in New York City was also evacuated.
It was not immediately known if there was damage from the earthquake, but a spokesperson for the Washington, D.C. fire and Emergency Medical Services (EMS) said it was receiving many calls. “Most buildings in downtown have been evacuated,” the spokesperson said.
The spokesperson added there were reports of
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