A 4.2 aftershock struck the region of Mineral, Virginia at 8:04 p.m. The aftershock had a depth of 4.9 miles and follows a 5.8 magnitude earthquake that occurred in the same area earlier today.
The epicenter of the 5.8 magnitude quake hit the region at 1:51 p.m. and was felt across the rest of the East Coast. The ground shaking was reported from far as Rhode Island and South Carolina.
Buildings were evacuated in Washington D.C. and New York City. Airports including Newark, LaGuardia and John F. Kennedy International Airport were temporarily closed while officials checked for damage but have since reopened.
There were no immediate reports of death, but some injuries were reported in Washington.
As we previously reported, the East Coast earthquakes tend to be felt over a broader area than those on the West Coast. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, an earthquake that occurs east of the Rockies can be felt over an area as much as ten times larger than a similar magnitude earthquake on the West Coast.
Although more aftershocks are a possibility , the National Weather Service’s West Coast and Alaska Tsunami Warning Center said that the quake was far enough inland that it would not trigger a tsunami.
