Breaking News:
5.8 earthquake hits D.C., Virginia, New York
Earthquake Hits Areas of DC, Maryland and Virginia
Updated: Friday, 16 Jul 2010, 11:18 PM EDT
Published : Friday, 16 Jul 2010, 5:27 AM EDT
Published : Friday, 16 Jul 2010, 5:27 AM EDT
WASHINGTON - Earthquakes are so rare in the Washington area that even a geology student wasn't quite sure what was going on when a minor one hit early Friday. Was it a truck passing by? A low-flying plane?
Gerasimos Michalitsianos, who will be a senior at the University of Maryland, College Park, was sitting on his couch looking at e-mails when the 3.6-magnitude temblor occurred.
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"I didn't actually know that I was in an earthquake," said Michalitsianos, who is studying postseismic relaxation, how the ground changes following major earthquakes.
Michalitsianos said he only found out he'd been through an earthquake when he looked online.
"It was a rare treat to see an earthquake occur here on the East Coast and to actually feel it," he said.
Washington area residents are used to politicians being the region's movers and shakers, so it was a surprise when the earth below shook. The earthquake rattled windows and jostled dishes but apparently caused no serious damage. President Barack Obama told reporters he didn't feel it.
Though Californians who have earthquakes of this size almost weekly may scoff, it was the strongest to hit within 30 miles of D.C. since officials began keeping records in 1974. Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., joked on Twitter, "Small earthquake in DC this morning ... someone must have dropped a copy of ObamaCare," the president's health care legislation.
The quake happened at 5:04 a.m. and was centered in the Rockville, Md., area, said Randy Baldwin, a geophysicist with U.S. Geological Survey's National Earthquake Information Center. By noon, more than 15,000 people had logged on to the U.S. Geological Survey's website to report feeling it, some from as far away as Pennsylvania and West Virginia. The website said earthquakes east of the Rocky Mountains can be felt over an area as much as 10 times larger than a similar magnitude earthquake on the West Coast.
Police in Washington and nearby Montgomery County, Md., said they received many calls from residents Friday morning, but there were no immediate reports of injuries or damage. Water, gas and electric utilities reported no problems to the District of Columbia Department of Homeland Security, which said streets were clear and the subway wasn't affected. Crews did go out to inspect bridges, however, to check for damage. None had been found as of midday.
Residents, meanwhile, spent the day asking each other "Did you feel it?"
Matthew Castelli, 40, of Fredericksburg, Va., said he didn't.
"I understand in this area for a lot of people it's 'holy cow!"' he said. "I think people tend to forget that we're near a fault line around here."
The Washington area has had small, infrequent earthquakes over the years, including a 2.5-magnitude quake in 1997 that was within 25 to 30 miles of Friday's and a 2.3-magnitude quake in 1996 that was within 15 miles.
One earthquake larger than a magnitude 5 was recorded in the area in 1897, and it's possible one might occur in the future, but it would be an extremely rare event, said USGS geophysicist John Bellini. Earthquakes in the area occur on fault lines called intraplate faults because, unlike California's San Andreas fault and others, they are not on boundary lines between the six or so large plates that make up the Earth's crust.
Debby Taylor Busse said she was watching television in the basement of her home in Vienna, Va., when she felt the quake.
"I didn't know what it was," Busse said. "I have never been in an earthquake before. It felt like an airplane going overhead or thunder, but it wasn't coming from above."
Busse said it lasted just a few seconds and compared it to a strong thunder strike -- enough to rattle the house, but not enough to knock anything over.
Tafelila Pilgrim, 78, said the shaking was strong enough to knock a plastic glass of water over in her home, but nothing else was amiss, though the quake shook her.
"I start screaming," she said. "I was afraid."
Washington resident Denver Turner said he too was awake to feel the quake. He'd been answering e-mails when he felt the carpet begin to vibrate beneath his feet.
"I didn't know DC got earthquakes, really," Turner said. "Definitely my first experience and not something I'd want to go through on a greater scale."
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/states/district/history.php
District of Columbia Earthquake History
No historical earthquake has been centered within the District of Columbia.
Ground vibrations from earthquakes in such seismic regions as the St. Lawrence River Valley, Missouri, Ohio, Virginia, and South Carolina have been felt by D.C. residents, but have caused no damage. A great earthquake which did considerable damage at Guadeloupe, West Indies, was felt in the Eastern United States, especially at Washington, D.C., in 1843.
The earliest shock that may have affected some sections of Washington occurred on April 24, 1758. Its probable center was near Annapolis, Maryland, and it was felt into
Pennsylvania.
A sequence of great earthquakes occurred in the Mississippi Embayment in 1811 and 1812. They were noticed by people over an area of 2 million square miles, including the District of Columbia. District residents were "badly frightened" according to old records.
An earthquake in March 1828 was felt over a wide area, including seven Eastern States and the District of Columbia. Although no damage occurred, it was reported to be "violent" in D.C. and Baltimore, Maryland. John Quincy Adams, then President of the United States, left the following account in his diary of the occurrence as he observed the shock at the White House:
March 9, 1828. There was this evening the shock of an earthquake, the first which I ever distinctly noticed at the moment when it happened. I was writing in this book, when the table began to shake under my hand and the floor under my feet. The window shutters rattled as if shaken by the wind, and there was a momentary sensation as of the heaving of a ship on the waves. It continued about two minutes, then ceased. It was about eleven at night. I immediately left writing, and went to my bedchamber, where my wife was in bed, much alarmed.
A moderate shock with probably epicenter in Virginia was felt in D.C. on April 29, 1852. It caused no damage in the District, but downed at least one chimney at Wytheville, Virginia.
A moderate shock in August 1861, probably centered in Virginia or North Carolina, was felt along the Atlantic coast from the District to South Carolina. Throughout most of the area, it was strong enough to awaken people, and to rattle doors and windows. Two shocks, at five second intervals, were noted at D.C.
A shock in September 1884 near Columbus, Ohio, was distinctly felt by District workmen on top of the then unfinished Washington Monument, 500 feet above ground. The tremor caused light effects in Ohio, Indiana, and parts of adjacent States.
A Virginia earthquake in October 1885 was felt strongly at Staunton and Lexington, and was claimed to have been felt by at least one perceptive person in Washington, D.C. The shock sent people running from buildings near its center, and shook furniture and windows.
The destructive South Carolina shock in August 1886 was probably felt by D.C. residents. At Alexandria, Virginia, there was considerable alarm, and many rushed into the streets. It killed 60 Charleston, South Carolina, citizens and caused heavy property damage. It is speculated that its magnitude was at least 7 on the Richter scale. An aftershock on October 22 was also felt north to D.C.
A tremor in May 1897, more popularly known as the Giles County (Virginia) earthquake, was felt in D.C. Near its epicenter (Pearisburg area), old brick houses and chimneys were cracked, bricks were thrown from chimney tops, and slight ground fissures were noted. This was the strongest earthquake in Virginia's history.
A moderate tremor in the Luray, Virginia, area in April 1918 reportedly broke windows in D.C. Earth sounds were heard over a very large area. Windows broke and plaster badly cracked in Shenandoah Valley.
A magnitude 7 earthquake in Canada's St. Lawrence River region shook a 2 million square mile area in February 1925. The felt area included Washington, D.C.
Another Canadian earthquake in November 1935 caused minor damage in New York and was felt south to Washington. The magnitude 6 1/4 tremor shook U.S. residents from Maine to Wisconsin.
Source:
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/states/district/history.php
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/dyfi/events/se/032811a/us/index.html
Gerasimos Michalitsianos, who will be a senior at the University of Maryland, College Park, was sitting on his couch looking at e-mails when the 3.6-magnitude temblor occurred.
SEND US YOUR PHOTOS AND VIDEO >>>
"I didn't actually know that I was in an earthquake," said Michalitsianos, who is studying postseismic relaxation, how the ground changes following major earthquakes.
Michalitsianos said he only found out he'd been through an earthquake when he looked online.
"It was a rare treat to see an earthquake occur here on the East Coast and to actually feel it," he said.
Washington area residents are used to politicians being the region's movers and shakers, so it was a surprise when the earth below shook. The earthquake rattled windows and jostled dishes but apparently caused no serious damage. President Barack Obama told reporters he didn't feel it.
Though Californians who have earthquakes of this size almost weekly may scoff, it was the strongest to hit within 30 miles of D.C. since officials began keeping records in 1974. Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., joked on Twitter, "Small earthquake in DC this morning ... someone must have dropped a copy of ObamaCare," the president's health care legislation.
The quake happened at 5:04 a.m. and was centered in the Rockville, Md., area, said Randy Baldwin, a geophysicist with U.S. Geological Survey's National Earthquake Information Center. By noon, more than 15,000 people had logged on to the U.S. Geological Survey's website to report feeling it, some from as far away as Pennsylvania and West Virginia. The website said earthquakes east of the Rocky Mountains can be felt over an area as much as 10 times larger than a similar magnitude earthquake on the West Coast.
Police in Washington and nearby Montgomery County, Md., said they received many calls from residents Friday morning, but there were no immediate reports of injuries or damage. Water, gas and electric utilities reported no problems to the District of Columbia Department of Homeland Security, which said streets were clear and the subway wasn't affected. Crews did go out to inspect bridges, however, to check for damage. None had been found as of midday.
Residents, meanwhile, spent the day asking each other "Did you feel it?"
Matthew Castelli, 40, of Fredericksburg, Va., said he didn't.
"I understand in this area for a lot of people it's 'holy cow!"' he said. "I think people tend to forget that we're near a fault line around here."
The Washington area has had small, infrequent earthquakes over the years, including a 2.5-magnitude quake in 1997 that was within 25 to 30 miles of Friday's and a 2.3-magnitude quake in 1996 that was within 15 miles.
One earthquake larger than a magnitude 5 was recorded in the area in 1897, and it's possible one might occur in the future, but it would be an extremely rare event, said USGS geophysicist John Bellini. Earthquakes in the area occur on fault lines called intraplate faults because, unlike California's San Andreas fault and others, they are not on boundary lines between the six or so large plates that make up the Earth's crust.
Debby Taylor Busse said she was watching television in the basement of her home in Vienna, Va., when she felt the quake.
"I didn't know what it was," Busse said. "I have never been in an earthquake before. It felt like an airplane going overhead or thunder, but it wasn't coming from above."
Busse said it lasted just a few seconds and compared it to a strong thunder strike -- enough to rattle the house, but not enough to knock anything over.
Tafelila Pilgrim, 78, said the shaking was strong enough to knock a plastic glass of water over in her home, but nothing else was amiss, though the quake shook her.
"I start screaming," she said. "I was afraid."
Washington resident Denver Turner said he too was awake to feel the quake. He'd been answering e-mails when he felt the carpet begin to vibrate beneath his feet.
"I didn't know DC got earthquakes, really," Turner said. "Definitely my first experience and not something I'd want to go through on a greater scale."
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/states/district/history.php
District of Columbia Earthquake History
No historical earthquake has been centered within the District of Columbia.
Ground vibrations from earthquakes in such seismic regions as the St. Lawrence River Valley, Missouri, Ohio, Virginia, and South Carolina have been felt by D.C. residents, but have caused no damage. A great earthquake which did considerable damage at Guadeloupe, West Indies, was felt in the Eastern United States, especially at Washington, D.C., in 1843.
The earliest shock that may have affected some sections of Washington occurred on April 24, 1758. Its probable center was near Annapolis, Maryland, and it was felt into
Pennsylvania.
A sequence of great earthquakes occurred in the Mississippi Embayment in 1811 and 1812. They were noticed by people over an area of 2 million square miles, including the District of Columbia. District residents were "badly frightened" according to old records.
An earthquake in March 1828 was felt over a wide area, including seven Eastern States and the District of Columbia. Although no damage occurred, it was reported to be "violent" in D.C. and Baltimore, Maryland. John Quincy Adams, then President of the United States, left the following account in his diary of the occurrence as he observed the shock at the White House:
March 9, 1828. There was this evening the shock of an earthquake, the first which I ever distinctly noticed at the moment when it happened. I was writing in this book, when the table began to shake under my hand and the floor under my feet. The window shutters rattled as if shaken by the wind, and there was a momentary sensation as of the heaving of a ship on the waves. It continued about two minutes, then ceased. It was about eleven at night. I immediately left writing, and went to my bedchamber, where my wife was in bed, much alarmed.
A moderate shock with probably epicenter in Virginia was felt in D.C. on April 29, 1852. It caused no damage in the District, but downed at least one chimney at Wytheville, Virginia.
A moderate shock in August 1861, probably centered in Virginia or North Carolina, was felt along the Atlantic coast from the District to South Carolina. Throughout most of the area, it was strong enough to awaken people, and to rattle doors and windows. Two shocks, at five second intervals, were noted at D.C.
A shock in September 1884 near Columbus, Ohio, was distinctly felt by District workmen on top of the then unfinished Washington Monument, 500 feet above ground. The tremor caused light effects in Ohio, Indiana, and parts of adjacent States.
A Virginia earthquake in October 1885 was felt strongly at Staunton and Lexington, and was claimed to have been felt by at least one perceptive person in Washington, D.C. The shock sent people running from buildings near its center, and shook furniture and windows.
The destructive South Carolina shock in August 1886 was probably felt by D.C. residents. At Alexandria, Virginia, there was considerable alarm, and many rushed into the streets. It killed 60 Charleston, South Carolina, citizens and caused heavy property damage. It is speculated that its magnitude was at least 7 on the Richter scale. An aftershock on October 22 was also felt north to D.C.
A tremor in May 1897, more popularly known as the Giles County (Virginia) earthquake, was felt in D.C. Near its epicenter (Pearisburg area), old brick houses and chimneys were cracked, bricks were thrown from chimney tops, and slight ground fissures were noted. This was the strongest earthquake in Virginia's history.
A moderate tremor in the Luray, Virginia, area in April 1918 reportedly broke windows in D.C. Earth sounds were heard over a very large area. Windows broke and plaster badly cracked in Shenandoah Valley.
A magnitude 7 earthquake in Canada's St. Lawrence River region shook a 2 million square mile area in February 1925. The felt area included Washington, D.C.
Another Canadian earthquake in November 1935 caused minor damage in New York and was felt south to Washington. The magnitude 6 1/4 tremor shook U.S. residents from Maine to Wisconsin.
Source:
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/states/district/history.php
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/dyfi/events/se/032811a/us/index.html
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