5.9 magnitude quake rocks East Coast
Update at 2:18 p.m. ET: In "the East Coast you have this old hard, cold crust that does a lovely job of transmitting the waves," says Lucy Jones, a seismologist with the U.S. Geological Survey. "This large of an earthquake …. could definitely have been felt hundreds of miles away."
Update at 2:16 p.m. ET: Fox News reports that JFK airport has been shut down because of the quake.
Update at 2:15 p.m. ET: "It scared the heck out of me, I'm still shaking," said Joan Morris, spokewoman for the northern district of the Virginia Department of Transportation. A few minutes after the quake, there were no reports of damage to roads or bridges in the state, Morris said.
Update at 2:13 p.m. ET: The USGS now puts the magnitude of the quake at 5.9.
Update at 2:12 p.m. ET: The quake could be felt in McLean, Va., headquarters of USA TODAY. It caused the building to sway. Some items could be heard falling from shelves. A number of employees went left the building.
Update at 2:10 p.m. ET: NBC reports that the quake was centered nine miles from Mineral, Va., which is 100 miles south of Washington, D.C.
Says Doug Kammerer, meteorlogist with the NBC affiliate in Washington, calls the tremor a "very big earthquake for our area."
The quake struck around 1:15 p.m. ET and lasted for about 30 to 45 seconds.
There have been no reports of injuries or widespread damage.
Update at 2p.m. ET: Reuters reports a 6.0 magnitude earthquake centered near Mineral, Va., rocked the mid-Atlantic states and was felt as far north at Manhattan and as far south as North Carolina.
Update at 1:57 p.m. ET:The Associated Press reports that the Pentagon is being evacuated.
An apparent earthquake rocks Washington, D.C. area.
Fox news reports that several public buildings, including the Capitol, have been evacuated.
