5.9 Earthquake Takes East Coast by Surprise

As Hurricane Irene churned its way towards the East Coast, an earthquake measured at 5.9 on the Richter scale shook buildings and rattled residents from South Carolina to Boston.

The earthquake and hurricane come as the D.C. region prepares for this weekend's dedication of the Martin Luther King, Jr., Memorial on the National Mall, expected to draw huge crowds.

The quake was centered in Virginia but caused ripples of alarm up and down the East Coast.  The U.S. Capitol, the Pentagon and other government buildings were briefly evacuated.  

Flights were delayed at Dulles, Reagan National, JFK, Philadelphia and other major airports.  Amtrak suspended service near the epicenter to check the condition of rails and bridges.

In the Northern Virginia counties of Fairfax and Arlington, fire and rescue officials said there were scattered reports of minor damage to buildings but no reports of injuries. Fairfax County police appealed to residents not to call 911 to report the earthquake or ask questions about it.  

The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) said initial reports were that no bridges or roadways had failed.  The Capitol and the Pentagon were briefly evacuated.  Throughout the Washington and Northern Virginia areas, many office workers took shelter in doorways while others left their buildings, FairfaxNews.com reported.

"Our house absolutely danced! Everything here is fine, though," said Ann Simon, a Northern Virginia author, in a Facebook posting.

More to come?

Scientists at the U.S. Geological Survey warned that, although the initial quake was brief, it might have been a foreshock, meaning that the worst may be yet to come.

Because of its different geological structure, energy from earthquakes on the East Coast does not attenuate as quickly as it does on the West Coast, and thus even a relatively modest tremor can shake a very broad area.

Office workers in Manhattan told FairfaxNews.com they felt their skyscrapers shake and rattle and some items fell from shelves.  Verizon, AT&T and Sprint all reported severe congestion in their cell phone networks, although they said there was no major damage to their equipment.

The quake was centered nine miles from Mineral, Va., which is 100 miles south of Washington, D.C. Doug Kammerer, meteorlogist with the NBC affiliate in Washington, called the tremor a "very big earthquake for our area."

"Definitely felt the earth move; it shook the tables in McDonald's where we were eating," said a retired Associated Press executive in Northern New Jersey. "Thought kids were shaking the booth but there were none when we looked!"