Virginia Earthquake Felt In Chenango
Published: August 23rd, 2011
By: Melissa Stagnaro

LOUISA, Va. – Residents from across Chenango County have reported feeling the earth shake this afternoon as a result of a 5.9 magnitude quake which hit roughly 83 miles southwest of the nation’s capital.

Chief Dispatcher A. Wesley Jones said the Chenango County 911 Center received approximately two dozen calls within minutes of the earthquake.

According to the US Geological Survey’s National Earthquake Information Center, what area residents felt stems from a quake which hit at 1:51 p.m. Its epicenter was roughly 2/3 of a mile beneath the earth’s surface, 4 miles outside of the Central Virginia town of Louisa.

DC area news outlets reported that many buildings, including the Pentagon, were evacuated.

No reports of damage or injuries have been received from within Chenango County as a result of the quake, Jones said.

The USGS asks that anyone who felt the earthquake report their experience via their website at www.earthquake.usgs.gov. As of press time, 1,173 people from 648 zip codes in 10 states reported feeling the tremor.




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