2011 Virginia earthquake
Encyclopedia
The 2011 Virginia earthquake occurred on August 23, 2011, at 1:51 pm EDT (17:51 UTC) in the Piedmont
region of the U.S. state
of Virginia
. The epicenter
, in Louisa County
, was 38 miles (61.2 km) northwest of Richmond
and 5 miles (8 km) south-southwest of the town of Mineral
. It was an intraplate earthquake
with a magnitude
of 5.8 and a maximum perceived intensity of VII (very strong) on the Mercalli intensity scale
. Several aftershock
s, ranging up to 4.5 Mw in magnitude occurred after the main tremor.
The earthquake, along with a magnitude-5.8 quake
on the New York
-Ontario
border in 1944, is the largest to have occurred in the U.S. east of the Rocky Mountains
since an 1897 quake centered in Giles County
in western Virginia whose magnitude has been estimated as 5.8 or 5.9.
The quake was felt across more than a dozen U.S. states and in several Canadian
provinces. No deaths and only minor injuries were reported.
Minor damage to buildings was widespread. The damage was estimated by one risk-modeling firm at $200 million to $300 million, of which about $100 million was insured.
, located in the Piedmont
region. The Virginia Piedmont area was originally formed as part of a zone of repeated continental collision
that created the ancestral Appalachian Mountains
, a process that started in the Ordovician
period with the Taconic orogeny
and finished in the Carboniferous
Period with the Alleghenian orogeny
. The reverse faults formed during the various orogenies were partly reactivated in extension
during the Mesozoic
Era as the supercontinent Pangaea
broke apart. During the Cenozoic
Era, some of these structures have been further reactivated in a reverse sense.
The earthquake's epicenter and most of the aftershocks lie between the surface traces of two structures, the Spotsylvania fault, a southeast dipping zone of high ductile strain, and the Chopawamsic Fault, a thrust fault
. The earthquake's focal mechanism
shows reverse slip faulting on a north to northeast striking fault plane. The size of the rupture is as yet uncalculated, but similar quakes have been caused by slippage along fault segments that are five to 15 km long.
After the earthquake, several websites speculated about whether hydraulic fracturing (fracking)
for natural gas
production could have caused or contributed to the quake. Although there were no fracking operations underway in Virginia at the time of the quake, fracking was taking place in the Marcellus shale
in West Virginia
, a neighboring state. According to United States Geological Survey
geologist James Coleman, there is evidence that fracking "causes relatively small earthquakes," but "smaller than what we had here in Virginia."
; as far north as Quebec City
, Quebec
; as far west as Illinois
and as far east as Fredericton, New Brunswick
, with damage reported as far away as Brooklyn
in New York City.
Although earthquakes in the central and eastern U.S. are much less frequent than in the western U.S., they are typically felt over a much broader region. East of the Rocky Mountains
, an earthquake can be felt over an area as much as ten times larger than a similar magnitude earthquake on the west coast. Western rock is relatively young, which means it absorbs a lot of the shaking caused by earthquakes. Thus, western earthquakes result in intense shaking close to the epicenter, but fade more quickly the farther the earthquakes travel. In the eastern United States the rock is far older, and the earthquake energy can therefore spread farther and have a greater impact. A magnitude 5.5 eastern U.S. earthquake can usually be felt as far as 300 mi (483 km) from where it occurred, and sometimes causes damage as far away as 25 mi (40 km). The relatively shallow depth of this quake also contributed to its widespread effects.
ordered a ground stop along the East Coast, causing some flight delays. The Air Traffic Control tower at John F. Kennedy International Airport
was evacuated. Flights were delayed at several airports, including John F. Kennedy International Airport, Newark Liberty International Airport
, Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport
, Dulles International Airport, and Philadelphia International Airport
. At National Airport, ceiling tiles fell in one terminal, and flights were halted.
A spike in cell-phone calls immediately after the event congested the AT&T
, Verizon Wireless
, Sprint Nextel
, T-Mobile USA
, and Frontier Communications networks in the Mid-Atlantic region
, causing disruptions and loss of service for up to an hour after the earthquake.
, where damage was greatest and several minor injuries occurred. The town of Mineral
, located 5 mi (8 km) from the earthquake's epicenter, reported the collapse of two buildings, as well as minor damage to several other structures, including the collapse of the ceiling in its Town Hall. Several minor injuries were reported there, among them people reporting chest pain after the shock of the experience. Fallen chimneys and other structural damage to buildings were reported in Mineral and in Louisa
, the county seat. The Gilboa Christian Church, in Cuckoo
, was heavily damaged and rendered unusable. At Louisa County High School
, cinderblocks fell in classrooms, and cracks were seen in walls. Six students there had minor injuries. Louisa County schools were closed on August 24 while engineers assessed damage to school buildings. The high school and Thomas Jefferson Elementary were closed for the remainder of the school year. Inspections revealed that 65 homes sustained major or severe damage and 125 homes experienced mild to moderate damage. Damage in Louisa County was estimated at $80.6 million of which $63.8 million was from damage to public school buildings and $14.7 million was from damage to residences. On August 25, county officials declared a state of local emergency in order to allow them to request state support.
The two nuclear reactors at the North Anna Nuclear Generating Station
, located 10 mi (16 km) from the epicenter, shut down automatically seconds before off-site power was lost because multiple reactor sensors detected a slight power reduction as a result of vibrations in the reactor or monitoring devices. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission
sent additional inspectors to the Virginia plant after preliminary measurements suggested that the ground shook more than the two reactors were designed to handle. The damage detected so far has been minimal and the NRC said the additional inspection should not be interpreted to mean the plant is less safe.
In Charlottesville
, about 27 mi (43 km) from the epicenter, a gas leak closed several streets, including West Main Street.
In Spotsylvania County
, the August 24 opening of public schools
was delayed while damage to buildings was assessed. Six patients were treated at the Spotsylvania Regional Medical Center
for minor injuries resulting from the earthquake.
Several buildings in Culpeper
, about 37 mi (60 km) from the epicenter, sustained structural damage. The brick façade of the Levy Building, built in 1848, collapsed and the building was condemned and demolished. The walls of St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, constructed in 1821, buckled and were deemed unstable by town officials. Another church, Culpeper Baptist Church, built in 1894, lost its chimney. Schools in Culpeper County delayed their scheduled August 24 opening to assess damage to buildings. Two minor earthquake injuries were reported by the Culpeper Regional Hospital. Damage in Culpeper was estimated at $10 million.
In Fredericksburg
, about 37 mi (60 km) from the epicenter, the Dickinson Building on the campus of Germanna Community College
was deemed unusable for the rest of the semester, and classes were canceled indefinitely until alternative classrooms could be found. Also in Fredericksburg, a gas leak led to the evacuation of homes and businesses in a two-block radius. Officials estimate the damage total at around $711,000.
In Arlington County
, a burst pipe flooded two corridors at the Pentagon
. Employees, many of whom left the building when the earthquake was felt, were alerted to the flooding by an alarm system that was installed after the September 11 attacks. Nearby Alexandria
also reported structual damages though no injuries.
, the Capitol
, and various other buildings were evacuated. The afternoon rush hour was affected, as many workers left early, and the Washington Metro system
's trains ran at reduced speeds while tracks and tunnels were inspected.
A National Park Service
spokesperson reported that surveys revealed cracks near the top of the Washington Monument
, the world's tallest stone structure, which was closed indefinitely. The quake damaged three of the four pinnacles (corner spires)
on the central tower of the Washington National Cathedral
, cracked some of its flying buttress
es, and caused additional damage. As the cathedral's insurance policy did not cover earthquake damage, cathedral officials stated that they would need to raise millions of dollars to fully evaluate the damage and to stabilize and repair its limestone
exterior.
The Smithsonian Castle incurred damage to five decorative turret
s, and fifty jars of preserved specimens fell from shelves at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History
. The Embassy of Ecuador
suffered structural damage, including three collapsed chimney
s and cracked internal walls. The Treasury Building
suffered minor damage to exterior railings, some of which fell to the ground and caused closure of a sidewalk. Other damage reported in the District of Columbia was minor, and no injuries were reported.
Staff at the National Zoo
reported that the behavior of some of the animals in the park suggested that they anticipated the quake seconds or even minutes before they felt it. The earthquake was felt at the great ape exhibits during afternoon feeding time. About three to 10 seconds before the quake, many of the apes abandoned their food and climbed to the top of a tree-like structure in the exhibit. The red-ruffed lemurs sounded an alarm call about 15 minutes before the quake, and the flock of 64 flamingos rushed about and grouped themselves together just before the quake. During the quake, some animals made sounds, some ran or dove for cover, and some stood up and stared at the walls of their enclosures. Some of the animals remained agitated for the rest of the day, while others calmed quickly.
, residents were evacuated from two damaged apartment buildings. In Kensington
, the tops of four spires on the Washington D.C. Temple
of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints fell to the ground along with several pieces of marble from the façade. Near Brunswick
, the quake caused "significant discoloration and a reduction in the quality of the water" of a spring, leading officials to warn against using the water until further notice. In the Fells Point neighborhood of Baltimore
, St. Patrick Catholic Church was deemed unsafe and will be closed for weeks for repairs. In Salisbury
, the City Police station endured damage above doorways and in concrete block walls, and there was also minor cracking in classroom walls at Salisbury University
. In Annapolis
, several buildings at the United States Naval Academy
were damaged. In Suitland, eight jars of preserved fish specimens fell from shelves at a Smithsonian Institution
storage facility. The 1740 Mt. Calvert mansion, historic site, and museum on the Patuxent River
in Upper Marlboro
received substantial structural damage and was closed indefinitely to the public.
Delaware: In Wilmington
, blocks fell to the street from the steeple of St. Thomas the Apostle Church, and the New Castle County Courthouse was evacuated, as was the air traffic control tower of the New Castle County Airport in nearby Wilmington Manor. In Dover
, fire marshals and building inspectors were called to assess structures throughout the capital city, where the city hall was evacuated. In Georgetown
, numerous buildings in the county seat were evacuated while crews checked for damage; the Emergency Operations Center there reported 200 calls to 911
. Delaware Department of Transportation
crews were dispatched statewide to inspect interstate highways, the under-construction replacement Indian River Inlet Bridge
, the Delaware Memorial Bridge
on I-295, and other bridges and roads.
West Virginia: In Martinsburg
, several government buildings were evacuated, and multiple citizens reported feeling their homes shaking violently enough to rattle picture frames off the walls. In Charleston
, the Kanawha County Courthouse
, the West Virginia State Capitol
campus, and several other downtown buildings were evacuated; Kanawha County
dispatchers received more than 350 calls in 45 minutes, but there were no reports of damage to buildings and infrastructure other than minor plaster
cracking in the old courthouse. In Philippi
, part of a chimney collapsed at the Barbour County
courthouse. The West Virginia Office of Miners' Health, Safety and Training stated that West Virginia coal mines
were safe following the tremors. A roof collapse in Patriot Coal Company's Big Mountain Complex forced the closure of the mine.
, and the company sent its 3,000 employees home for the day. Other office buildings in Center City Philadelphia were also evacuated following the earthquake. Workers at the PPL Corporation
in Allentown
evacuated the building. The Three Mile Island nuclear plant south of Harrisburg
continued to operate during the earthquake. The Bucks County
Courthouse in Doylestown
was evacuated following the earthquake. In Philadelphia, SEPTA Regional Rail
trains were restricted to a speed of 25 miles per hour (40.2 km/h) while tracks were inspected for damage, and PATCO Speedline trains were briefly suspended, with no damage reported. The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation
conducted inspections on bridges across the state to check for possible damage. The Delaware River Port Authority
reported no damage to its four bridges across the Delaware River
.
New Jersey: Damage in New Jersey
was minor. The state Emergency Management office reported two gas leaks in Gloucester County
. In Burlington
, Temple B'nai Israel's 1801 synagogue
building sustained some water damage, and about 20 bricks fell off, damaging a congregant's car. In Camden
, a vacant house partially collapsed, and government buildings were evacuated, with city workers given the option of returning home for the day. Due to damage done by the quake, the municipal government of Woodbury
is seeking to raze the historic Colonel George Gill Green Opera House, which was built in 1880. No infrastructure damage was reported in the state.
New York: Tremors were felt to varying degrees throughout New York State
. Physical damage was seen in Brooklyn
. There were some disruptions, including building evacuations and delays at airports. Amtrak
train service at Penn Station
was also delayed.
states.
Connecticut: In New Haven
, play at the 2011 New Haven Open at Yale
tennis
tournament was stopped for two hours and the main stadium was evacuated while the fire department checked it for damage. No damage or injuries were reported.
Massachusetts: In Boston
, the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency reported tremors and swaying buildings but no damage. The U.S. District Court
in South Boston was evacuated and the University of Massachusetts Boston
closed early.
Maine: In Maine
, the earthquake was felt as far north as Augusta
and Portland
, but no damage was reported in the state.
and Wisconsin
.
Ohio: In Columbus
, the Huntington Center was briefly evacuated, and occupants on the upper floors of the Rhodes State Office Tower
and the Vern Riffe State Office Tower
reported feeling strong shaking. Evacuations also occurred in Canton
and Akron
. In Cleveland, the press box
at Progressive Field shook during the third inning of a Cleveland Indians
baseball game.
Michigan: Tremors from the earthquake were felt in Detroit, as far north as Saginaw
, and as far west as communities on Lake Michigan
. There were no reports of damage in the state.
, but no damage was reported.
, as well as in parts of southern Quebec
and the Maritime provinces
. In Ontario, a few buildings in Toronto
were evacuated, and precautionary measures were taken in Sudbury and Windsor
.
2011 is the second consecutive year in which an earthquake was widely felt in Southern Ontario and Quebec, the previous being the June 2010 Central Canada Earthquake
that also affected that region.
and Washington, D.C. and was felt as far away as New England, Georgia, and Illinois.
"Did you feel it?" citizen-based
earthquake-intensity web site received about 60,000 reports in the first two hours after the quake, and over 100,000 responses within four hours.
According to Facebook
, the word "earthquake" appeared in the status updates of 3 million users within four minutes of the quake. Twitter
said users were sending up to 5,500 messages (tweets) per second, which tops the peak rate immediately following the 2011 death of Osama bin Laden
and was "on par with" the rate after the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami
.
Due to the significantly slower propagation of seismic waves compared to the near-speed-of-light transmission of internet traffic, some Twitter users read about the earthquake seconds before feeling the tremors. For example, Twitter users in such cities as New York City and Boston reported reading tweets about the quake from users in Washington, D.C., or Richmond, Virginia, 15 to 30 seconds before feeling the quake itself.
Wikipedia
had an article dedicated to the earthquake by 2:03 PM, 12 minutes after the event, and it was mentioned in two other Wikipedia articles even earlier.
Piedmont (United States)
The Piedmont is a plateau region located in the eastern United States between the Atlantic Coastal Plain and the main Appalachian Mountains, stretching from New Jersey in the north to central Alabama in the south. The Piedmont province is a physiographic province of the larger Appalachian division...
region of the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
. The epicenter
Epicenter
The epicenter or epicentre is the point on the Earth's surface that is directly above the hypocenter or focus, the point where an earthquake or underground explosion originates...
, in Louisa County
Louisa County, Virginia
Louisa County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of 2010, the population was 33,153. The county seat is Louisa.- History :...
, was 38 miles (61.2 km) northwest of Richmond
Richmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
and 5 miles (8 km) south-southwest of the town of Mineral
Mineral, Virginia
Mineral is a town in Louisa County, Virginia, United States. The population was 424 at the 2000 census.-History:Mineral was originally known as Tolersville, but adopted its current name when it incorporated in 1902 due to the mining industry that supported the community...
. It was an intraplate earthquake
Intraplate earthquake
An intraplate earthquake is an earthquake that occurs in the interior of a tectonic plate, whereas an interplate earthquake is one that occurs at a plate boundary....
with a magnitude
Moment magnitude scale
The moment magnitude scale is used by seismologists to measure the size of earthquakes in terms of the energy released. The magnitude is based on the seismic moment of the earthquake, which is equal to the rigidity of the Earth multiplied by the average amount of slip on the fault and the size of...
of 5.8 and a maximum perceived intensity of VII (very strong) on the Mercalli intensity scale
Mercalli intensity scale
The Mercalli intensity scale is a seismic scale used for measuring the intensity of an earthquake. It measures the effects of an earthquake, and is distinct from the moment magnitude M_w usually reported for an earthquake , which is a measure of the energy released...
. Several aftershock
Aftershock
An aftershock is a smaller earthquake that occurs after a previous large earthquake, in the same area of the main shock. If an aftershock is larger than the main shock, the aftershock is redesignated as the main shock and the original main shock is redesignated as a foreshock...
s, ranging up to 4.5 Mw in magnitude occurred after the main tremor.
The earthquake, along with a magnitude-5.8 quake
1944 Cornwall-Massena earthquake
The 1944 Cornwall-Massena earthquake occurred on Tuesday, September 5, 1944, at roughly 12:40am EST in Massena, New York. It was registered as a magnitude 5.8 on the Richter scale and was felt for a great distance. This area is part of the Saint Lawrence River Valley and the seismically active...
on the New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
-Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
border in 1944, is the largest to have occurred in the U.S. east of the Rocky Mountains
Rocky Mountains
The Rocky Mountains are a major mountain range in western North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch more than from the northernmost part of British Columbia, in western Canada, to New Mexico, in the southwestern United States...
since an 1897 quake centered in Giles County
Giles County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 16,657 people, 6,994 households, and 4,888 families residing in the county. The population density was 47 people per square mile . There were 7,732 housing units at an average density of 22 per square mile...
in western Virginia whose magnitude has been estimated as 5.8 or 5.9.
The quake was felt across more than a dozen U.S. states and in several Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
provinces. No deaths and only minor injuries were reported.
Minor damage to buildings was widespread. The damage was estimated by one risk-modeling firm at $200 million to $300 million, of which about $100 million was insured.
Geology
The earthquake occurred in the Virginia Seismic ZoneVirginia Seismic Zone
The Virginia Seismic Zone in the U.S. state of Virginia covers about 8,000 km2 in the Piedmont province. Earthquakes in the state are irregular and rarely top 4.5 on the Richter magnitude scale.-List of earthquakes:-2003 earthquakes:...
, located in the Piedmont
Piedmont (United States)
The Piedmont is a plateau region located in the eastern United States between the Atlantic Coastal Plain and the main Appalachian Mountains, stretching from New Jersey in the north to central Alabama in the south. The Piedmont province is a physiographic province of the larger Appalachian division...
region. The Virginia Piedmont area was originally formed as part of a zone of repeated continental collision
Continental collision
Continental collision is a phenomenon of the plate tectonics of Earth that occurs at convergent boundaries. Continental collision is a variation on the fundamental process of subduction, whereby the subduction zone is destroyed, mountains produced, and two continents sutured together...
that created the ancestral Appalachian Mountains
Appalachian Mountains
The Appalachian Mountains #Whether the stressed vowel is or ,#Whether the "ch" is pronounced as a fricative or an affricate , and#Whether the final vowel is the monophthong or the diphthong .), often called the Appalachians, are a system of mountains in eastern North America. The Appalachians...
, a process that started in the Ordovician
Ordovician
The Ordovician is a geologic period and system, the second of six of the Paleozoic Era, and covers the time between 488.3±1.7 to 443.7±1.5 million years ago . It follows the Cambrian Period and is followed by the Silurian Period...
period with the Taconic orogeny
Taconic orogeny
The Taconic orogeny was a mountain building period that ended 440 million years ago and affected most of modern-day New England. A great mountain chain formed from eastern Canada down through what is now the Piedmont of the East coast of the United States...
and finished in the Carboniferous
Carboniferous
The Carboniferous is a geologic period and system that extends from the end of the Devonian Period, about 359.2 ± 2.5 Mya , to the beginning of the Permian Period, about 299.0 ± 0.8 Mya . The name is derived from the Latin word for coal, carbo. Carboniferous means "coal-bearing"...
Period with the Alleghenian orogeny
Alleghenian orogeny
The Alleghenian orogeny or Appalachian orogeny is one of the geological mountain-forming events that formed the Appalachian Mountains and Allegheny Mountains. The term and spelling Alleghany orogeny was originally proposed by H.P. Woodward in 1957....
. The reverse faults formed during the various orogenies were partly reactivated in extension
Extensional tectonics
Extensional tectonics is concerned with the structures formed, and the tectonic processes associated with, the stretching of the crust or lithosphere.-Deformation styles:...
during the Mesozoic
Mesozoic
The Mesozoic era is an interval of geological time from about 250 million years ago to about 65 million years ago. It is often referred to as the age of reptiles because reptiles, namely dinosaurs, were the dominant terrestrial and marine vertebrates of the time...
Era as the supercontinent Pangaea
Pangaea
Pangaea, Pangæa, or Pangea is hypothesized as a supercontinent that existed during the Paleozoic and Mesozoic eras about 250 million years ago, before the component continents were separated into their current configuration....
broke apart. During the Cenozoic
Cenozoic
The Cenozoic era is the current and most recent of the three Phanerozoic geological eras and covers the period from 65.5 mya to the present. The era began in the wake of the Cretaceous–Tertiary extinction event at the end of the Cretaceous that saw the demise of the last non-avian dinosaurs and...
Era, some of these structures have been further reactivated in a reverse sense.
The earthquake's epicenter and most of the aftershocks lie between the surface traces of two structures, the Spotsylvania fault, a southeast dipping zone of high ductile strain, and the Chopawamsic Fault, a thrust fault
Thrust fault
A thrust fault is a type of fault, or break in the Earth's crust across which there has been relative movement, in which rocks of lower stratigraphic position are pushed up and over higher strata. They are often recognized because they place older rocks above younger...
. The earthquake's focal mechanism
Focal mechanism
The focal mechanism of an earthquake describes the inelastic deformation in the source region that generates the seismic waves. In the case of a fault-related event it refers to the orientation of the fault plane that slipped and the slip vector and is also known as a fault-plane solution...
shows reverse slip faulting on a north to northeast striking fault plane. The size of the rupture is as yet uncalculated, but similar quakes have been caused by slippage along fault segments that are five to 15 km long.
After the earthquake, several websites speculated about whether hydraulic fracturing (fracking)
Hydraulic fracturing
Considerable controversy surrounds the current implementation of hydraulic fracturing technology in the United States. Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, is the process of utilizing pressurized water, or some other liquid, to fracture rock layers and release petroleum, natural gas, or other...
for natural gas
Natural gas
Natural gas is a naturally occurring gas mixture consisting primarily of methane, typically with 0–20% higher hydrocarbons . It is found associated with other hydrocarbon fuel, in coal beds, as methane clathrates, and is an important fuel source and a major feedstock for fertilizers.Most natural...
production could have caused or contributed to the quake. Although there were no fracking operations underway in Virginia at the time of the quake, fracking was taking place in the Marcellus shale
Marcellus Formation
The Marcellus Formation is a unit of marine sedimentary rock found in eastern North America...
in West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
, a neighboring state. According to United States Geological Survey
United States Geological Survey
The United States Geological Survey is a scientific agency of the United States government. The scientists of the USGS study the landscape of the United States, its natural resources, and the natural hazards that threaten it. The organization has four major science disciplines, concerning biology,...
geologist James Coleman, there is evidence that fracking "causes relatively small earthquakes," but "smaller than what we had here in Virginia."
Impact
Tremors from the Virginia earthquake were felt as far south as Atlanta, GeorgiaAtlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
; as far north as Quebec City
Quebec City
Quebec , also Québec, Quebec City or Québec City is the capital of the Canadian province of Quebec and is located within the Capitale-Nationale region. It is the second most populous city in Quebec after Montreal, which is about to the southwest...
, Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
; as far west as Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
and as far east as Fredericton, New Brunswick
New Brunswick
New Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only province in the federation that is constitutionally bilingual . The provincial capital is Fredericton and Saint John is the most populous city. Greater Moncton is the largest Census Metropolitan Area...
, with damage reported as far away as Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
in New York City.
Although earthquakes in the central and eastern U.S. are much less frequent than in the western U.S., they are typically felt over a much broader region. East of the Rocky Mountains
Rocky Mountains
The Rocky Mountains are a major mountain range in western North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch more than from the northernmost part of British Columbia, in western Canada, to New Mexico, in the southwestern United States...
, an earthquake can be felt over an area as much as ten times larger than a similar magnitude earthquake on the west coast. Western rock is relatively young, which means it absorbs a lot of the shaking caused by earthquakes. Thus, western earthquakes result in intense shaking close to the epicenter, but fade more quickly the farther the earthquakes travel. In the eastern United States the rock is far older, and the earthquake energy can therefore spread farther and have a greater impact. A magnitude 5.5 eastern U.S. earthquake can usually be felt as far as 300 mi (483 km) from where it occurred, and sometimes causes damage as far away as 25 mi (40 km). The relatively shallow depth of this quake also contributed to its widespread effects.
United States
Soon after the earthquake, the U.S. Federal Aviation AdministrationFederal Aviation Administration
The Federal Aviation Administration is the national aviation authority of the United States. An agency of the United States Department of Transportation, it has authority to regulate and oversee all aspects of civil aviation in the U.S...
ordered a ground stop along the East Coast, causing some flight delays. The Air Traffic Control tower at John F. Kennedy International Airport
John F. Kennedy International Airport
John F. Kennedy International Airport is an international airport located in the borough of Queens in New York City, about southeast of Lower Manhattan. It is the busiest international air passenger gateway to the United States, handling more international traffic than any other airport in North...
was evacuated. Flights were delayed at several airports, including John F. Kennedy International Airport, Newark Liberty International Airport
Newark Liberty International Airport
Newark Liberty International Airport , first named Newark Metropolitan Airport and later Newark International Airport, is an international airport within the city limits of both Newark and Elizabeth, New Jersey, United States...
, Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport
Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport
Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport is a public airport located south of downtown Washington, D.C., in Arlington County, Virginia. It is the commercial airport nearest to Washington, D.C. For many decades, it was called Washington National Airport, but this airport was renamed in 1998 to...
, Dulles International Airport, and Philadelphia International Airport
Philadelphia International Airport
Philadelphia International Airport is a major airport in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, and is the largest airport in the Delaware Valley region and in Pennsylvania...
. At National Airport, ceiling tiles fell in one terminal, and flights were halted.
A spike in cell-phone calls immediately after the event congested the AT&T
AT&T
AT&T Inc. is an American multinational telecommunications corporation headquartered in Whitacre Tower, Dallas, Texas, United States. It is the largest provider of mobile telephony and fixed telephony in the United States, and is also a provider of broadband and subscription television services...
, Verizon Wireless
Verizon Wireless
Cellco Partnership, doing business as Verizon Wireless, is one of the largest mobile network operators in the United States. The network has 107.7 million subscribers as of 2011, making it the largest wireless service provider in America....
, Sprint Nextel
Sprint Nextel
Sprint Nextel Corporation is an American telecommunications company based in Overland Park, Kansas. The company owns and operates Sprint, the third largest wireless telecommunications network in the United States, with 53.4 million customers, behind Verizon Wireless and AT&T Mobility...
, T-Mobile USA
T-Mobile USA
T-Mobile USA, Inc. is an American mobile-network operator, headquartered in Bellevue, Washington, that provides wireless voice, messaging and data services in the United States, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The company is the fourth-largest wireless carrier in the U.S. market with 33.73...
, and Frontier Communications networks in the Mid-Atlantic region
Mid-Atlantic States
The Mid-Atlantic states, also called middle Atlantic states or simply the mid Atlantic, form a region of the United States generally located between New England and the South...
, causing disruptions and loss of service for up to an hour after the earthquake.
Virginia
The epicenter of the earthquake was in Louisa County, VirginiaLouisa County, Virginia
Louisa County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of 2010, the population was 33,153. The county seat is Louisa.- History :...
, where damage was greatest and several minor injuries occurred. The town of Mineral
Mineral, Virginia
Mineral is a town in Louisa County, Virginia, United States. The population was 424 at the 2000 census.-History:Mineral was originally known as Tolersville, but adopted its current name when it incorporated in 1902 due to the mining industry that supported the community...
, located 5 mi (8 km) from the earthquake's epicenter, reported the collapse of two buildings, as well as minor damage to several other structures, including the collapse of the ceiling in its Town Hall. Several minor injuries were reported there, among them people reporting chest pain after the shock of the experience. Fallen chimneys and other structural damage to buildings were reported in Mineral and in Louisa
Louisa, Virginia
Louisa is a town in Louisa County, Virginia, United States. The population was 1,401 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Louisa County.-Geography:Louisa is located at ....
, the county seat. The Gilboa Christian Church, in Cuckoo
Cuckoo, Virginia
Cuckoo is a small unincorporated community in Louisa County, Virginia, United States. It is located in about 8 miles southeast of Louisa, roughly between Charlottesville and Richmond. The Cuckoo Tavern stood nearby, which in 1781 was the beginning of Jack Jouett's ride to warn the Colonists of the...
, was heavily damaged and rendered unusable. At Louisa County High School
Louisa County High School
Louisa County High School is a secondary school for students of Louisa County, Virginia in the United States. It serves as the school for students in the county in grades 9-12.-History:...
, cinderblocks fell in classrooms, and cracks were seen in walls. Six students there had minor injuries. Louisa County schools were closed on August 24 while engineers assessed damage to school buildings. The high school and Thomas Jefferson Elementary were closed for the remainder of the school year. Inspections revealed that 65 homes sustained major or severe damage and 125 homes experienced mild to moderate damage. Damage in Louisa County was estimated at $80.6 million of which $63.8 million was from damage to public school buildings and $14.7 million was from damage to residences. On August 25, county officials declared a state of local emergency in order to allow them to request state support.
The two nuclear reactors at the North Anna Nuclear Generating Station
North Anna Nuclear Generating Station
The North Anna Nuclear Generating Station is a nuclear power plant on a site in Louisa County, Virginia. The site is operated by Dominion Generation company and is jointly owned by the Dominion Virginia Power corporation and by the Old Dominion Electric Cooperative .The plant has two Westinghouse...
, located 10 mi (16 km) from the epicenter, shut down automatically seconds before off-site power was lost because multiple reactor sensors detected a slight power reduction as a result of vibrations in the reactor or monitoring devices. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Nuclear Regulatory Commission
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is an independent agency of the United States government that was established by the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974 from the United States Atomic Energy Commission, and was first opened January 19, 1975...
sent additional inspectors to the Virginia plant after preliminary measurements suggested that the ground shook more than the two reactors were designed to handle. The damage detected so far has been minimal and the NRC said the additional inspection should not be interpreted to mean the plant is less safe.
In Charlottesville
Charlottesville, Virginia
Charlottesville is an independent city geographically surrounded by but separate from Albemarle County in the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States, and named after Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, the queen consort of King George III of the United Kingdom.The official population estimate for...
, about 27 mi (43 km) from the epicenter, a gas leak closed several streets, including West Main Street.
In Spotsylvania County
Spotsylvania County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 90,395 people, 31,308 households, and 24,639 families residing in the county. The population density was 226 people per square mile . There were 33,329 housing units at an average density of 83 per square mile...
, the August 24 opening of public schools
Spotsylvania County Public Schools
Spotsylvania County Public Schools is a public school district serving Spotsylvania County, Virginia. It consists of 17 Elementary, 7 Middle, and 5 High Schools and has a total enrollment of over 24,000 students. The Spotsylvania County School division also has a Career and Technical Center and...
was delayed while damage to buildings was assessed. Six patients were treated at the Spotsylvania Regional Medical Center
Spotsylvania Regional Medical Center
Spotsylvania Regional Medical Center is a hospital in Spotsylvania County, Virginia. The hospital is a subsidiary of Hospital Corporation of America.-Services:...
for minor injuries resulting from the earthquake.
Several buildings in Culpeper
Culpeper, Virginia
Culpeper is an incorporated town in Culpeper County, Virginia, United States. The population was 9,664 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Culpeper County. Culpeper is part of the Culpeper Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Culpeper County. Both the Town of Culpeper and...
, about 37 mi (60 km) from the epicenter, sustained structural damage. The brick façade of the Levy Building, built in 1848, collapsed and the building was condemned and demolished. The walls of St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, constructed in 1821, buckled and were deemed unstable by town officials. Another church, Culpeper Baptist Church, built in 1894, lost its chimney. Schools in Culpeper County delayed their scheduled August 24 opening to assess damage to buildings. Two minor earthquake injuries were reported by the Culpeper Regional Hospital. Damage in Culpeper was estimated at $10 million.
In Fredericksburg
Fredericksburg, Virginia
Fredericksburg is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia located south of Washington, D.C., and north of Richmond. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 24,286...
, about 37 mi (60 km) from the epicenter, the Dickinson Building on the campus of Germanna Community College
Germanna Community College
Germanna Community College, est. 1970, is a community college and member of the Virginia Community College System, with campuses located in Locust Grove, Fredericksburg, and Culpeper...
was deemed unusable for the rest of the semester, and classes were canceled indefinitely until alternative classrooms could be found. Also in Fredericksburg, a gas leak led to the evacuation of homes and businesses in a two-block radius. Officials estimate the damage total at around $711,000.
In Arlington County
Arlington County, Virginia
Arlington County is a county in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The land that became Arlington was originally donated by Virginia to the United States government to form part of the new federal capital district. On February 27, 1801, the United States Congress organized the area as a subdivision of...
, a burst pipe flooded two corridors at the Pentagon
The Pentagon
The Pentagon is the headquarters of the United States Department of Defense, located in Arlington County, Virginia. As a symbol of the U.S. military, "the Pentagon" is often used metonymically to refer to the Department of Defense rather than the building itself.Designed by the American architect...
. Employees, many of whom left the building when the earthquake was felt, were alerted to the flooding by an alarm system that was installed after the September 11 attacks. Nearby Alexandria
Alexandria, Virginia
Alexandria is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of 2009, the city had a total population of 139,966. Located along the Western bank of the Potomac River, Alexandria is approximately six miles south of downtown Washington, D.C.Like the rest of northern Virginia, as well as...
also reported structual damages though no injuries.
Washington, D.C.
The White HouseWhite House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
, the Capitol
United States Capitol
The United States Capitol is the meeting place of the United States Congress, the legislature of the federal government of the United States. Located in Washington, D.C., it sits atop Capitol Hill at the eastern end of the National Mall...
, and various other buildings were evacuated. The afternoon rush hour was affected, as many workers left early, and the Washington Metro system
Washington Metro
The Washington Metro, commonly called Metro, and unofficially Metrorail, is the rapid transit system in Washington, D.C., United States, and its surrounding suburbs. It is administered by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority , which also operates Metrobus service under the Metro name...
's trains ran at reduced speeds while tracks and tunnels were inspected.
A National Park Service
National Park Service
The National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
spokesperson reported that surveys revealed cracks near the top of the Washington Monument
Washington Monument
The Washington Monument is an obelisk near the west end of the National Mall in Washington, D.C., built to commemorate the first U.S. president, General George Washington...
, the world's tallest stone structure, which was closed indefinitely. The quake damaged three of the four pinnacles (corner spires)
Pinnacle
A pinnacle is an architectural ornament originally forming the cap or crown of a buttress or small turret, but afterwards used on parapets at the corners of towers and in many other situations. The pinnacle looks like a small spire...
on the central tower of the Washington National Cathedral
Washington National Cathedral
The Washington National Cathedral, officially named the Cathedral Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, is a cathedral of the Episcopal Church located in Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States. Of neogothic design, it is the sixth-largest cathedral in the world, the second-largest in...
, cracked some of its flying buttress
Flying buttress
A flying buttress is a specific form of buttressing most strongly associated with Gothic church architecture. The purpose of any buttress is to resist the lateral forces pushing a wall outwards by redirecting them to the ground...
es, and caused additional damage. As the cathedral's insurance policy did not cover earthquake damage, cathedral officials stated that they would need to raise millions of dollars to fully evaluate the damage and to stabilize and repair its limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
exterior.
The Smithsonian Castle incurred damage to five decorative turret
Turret
In architecture, a turret is a small tower that projects vertically from the wall of a building such as a medieval castle. Turrets were used to provide a projecting defensive position allowing covering fire to the adjacent wall in the days of military fortification...
s, and fifty jars of preserved specimens fell from shelves at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History
National Museum of Natural History
The National Museum of Natural History is a natural history museum administered by the Smithsonian Institution, located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., United States. Admission is free and the museum is open 364 days a year....
. The Embassy of Ecuador
Embassy of Ecuador in Washington, D.C.
The Embassy of Ecuador in Washington, D.C. is the Republic of Ecuador's diplomatic mission to the United States. It is located at 2535 15th Street N.W. in Washington, D.C.'s Columbia Heights neighborhood...
suffered structural damage, including three collapsed chimney
Chimney
A chimney is a structure for venting hot flue gases or smoke from a boiler, stove, furnace or fireplace to the outside atmosphere. Chimneys are typically vertical, or as near as possible to vertical, to ensure that the gases flow smoothly, drawing air into the combustion in what is known as the...
s and cracked internal walls. The Treasury Building
Treasury Building (Washington, D.C.)
The Treasury Building in Washington, D.C. is a National Historic Landmark building which is the headquarters of the United States Department of the Treasury....
suffered minor damage to exterior railings, some of which fell to the ground and caused closure of a sidewalk. Other damage reported in the District of Columbia was minor, and no injuries were reported.
Staff at the National Zoo
Smithsonian National Zoological Park
The Smithsonian National Zoological Park, commonly known as the National Zoo, is one of the oldest zoos in the United States, and as part of the Smithsonian Institution, does not charge admission. Founded in 1889, its mission is to provide leadership in animal care, science, education,...
reported that the behavior of some of the animals in the park suggested that they anticipated the quake seconds or even minutes before they felt it. The earthquake was felt at the great ape exhibits during afternoon feeding time. About three to 10 seconds before the quake, many of the apes abandoned their food and climbed to the top of a tree-like structure in the exhibit. The red-ruffed lemurs sounded an alarm call about 15 minutes before the quake, and the flock of 64 flamingos rushed about and grouped themselves together just before the quake. During the quake, some animals made sounds, some ran or dove for cover, and some stood up and stared at the walls of their enclosures. Some of the animals remained agitated for the rest of the day, while others calmed quickly.
Maryland, Delaware, and West Virginia
Maryland: In Temple HillsTemple Hills, Maryland
Temple Hills is a suburb of Washington DC, southeast of the downtown district. It is an unincorporated area and census-designated place in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. The greater Temple Hills mailing address includes not just the tiny red area on this map, but also the area...
, residents were evacuated from two damaged apartment buildings. In Kensington
Kensington, Maryland
Kensington is a town in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. The population was 1,873 at the 2000 census. Greater Kensington encompasses the entire 20895 zip code and its population is an order of magnitude larger than that of the town at its center....
, the tops of four spires on the Washington D.C. Temple
Washington D.C. Temple
The Washington D.C. Temple is the 18th constructed and 16th operating temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is located in Kensington, Maryland, USA, near the Capital Beltway just north of Washington, D.C...
of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints fell to the ground along with several pieces of marble from the façade. Near Brunswick
Brunswick, Maryland
Brunswick is a city in Frederick County, Maryland, United States. The population was 5,870 at the 2010 census.- History :The area now known as Brunswick was originally home to the Susquehanna Indians. In 1728 the first settlement was built, and the region became known as Eel Town, because the...
, the quake caused "significant discoloration and a reduction in the quality of the water" of a spring, leading officials to warn against using the water until further notice. In the Fells Point neighborhood of Baltimore
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
, St. Patrick Catholic Church was deemed unsafe and will be closed for weeks for repairs. In Salisbury
Salisbury, Maryland
-Demographics:Salisbury is the principal city of the Salisbury-Ocean Pines CSA, a Combined Statistical Area that includes the Salisbury metropolitan area and the Ocean Pines micropolitan area , which had a combined population of 176,657 at the 2010 census.As of the census of 2000, there were...
, the City Police station endured damage above doorways and in concrete block walls, and there was also minor cracking in classroom walls at Salisbury University
Salisbury University
Salisbury University is a public university in Salisbury, Maryland.According to U.S. News and World Report's 2009 America's Best Colleges index, "In guidebooks and surveys by U.S...
. In Annapolis
Annapolis, Maryland
Annapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Maryland, as well as the county seat of Anne Arundel County. It had a population of 38,394 at the 2010 census and is situated on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River, south of Baltimore and about east of Washington, D.C. Annapolis is...
, several buildings at the United States Naval Academy
United States Naval Academy
The United States Naval Academy is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located in Annapolis, Maryland, United States...
were damaged. In Suitland, eight jars of preserved fish specimens fell from shelves at a Smithsonian Institution
Smithsonian Institution
The Smithsonian Institution is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its endowment, contributions, and profits from its retail operations, concessions, licensing activities, and magazines...
storage facility. The 1740 Mt. Calvert mansion, historic site, and museum on the Patuxent River
Patuxent River
The Patuxent River is a tributary of the Chesapeake Bay in the state of Maryland. There are three main river drainages for central Maryland: the Potomac River to the west passing through Washington D.C., the Patapsco River to the northeast passing through Baltimore, and the Patuxent River between...
in Upper Marlboro
Upper Marlboro, Maryland
Upper Marlboro is a town in and the county seat of Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. The live-in population of the town core proper was only 648 at the 2000 census, although Greater Upper Marlboro is many times larger....
received substantial structural damage and was closed indefinitely to the public.
Delaware: In Wilmington
Wilmington, Delaware
Wilmington is the largest city in the state of Delaware, United States, and is located at the confluence of the Christina River and Brandywine Creek, near where the Christina flows into the Delaware River. It is the county seat of New Castle County and one of the major cities in the Delaware Valley...
, blocks fell to the street from the steeple of St. Thomas the Apostle Church, and the New Castle County Courthouse was evacuated, as was the air traffic control tower of the New Castle County Airport in nearby Wilmington Manor. In Dover
Dover, Delaware
The city of Dover is the capital and second largest city in the U.S. state of Delaware. It is also the county seat of Kent County, and the principal city of the Dover, Delaware Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Kent County. It is located on the St. Jones River in the Delaware...
, fire marshals and building inspectors were called to assess structures throughout the capital city, where the city hall was evacuated. In Georgetown
Georgetown, Delaware
Georgetown is a town in Sussex County, Delaware, United States. According to 2010 census figures, the population of the town is 6,422, an increase of 38.3% over the previous decade...
, numerous buildings in the county seat were evacuated while crews checked for damage; the Emergency Operations Center there reported 200 calls to 911
911
Year 911 was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar.-Africa:* Rebellion of the Kutama Berbers against the Fatimid Caliphate...
. Delaware Department of Transportation
Delaware Department of Transportation
The Delaware Department of Transportation is an agency of the U.S. state of Delaware. The Secretary of Transportation is Shailen Bhatt...
crews were dispatched statewide to inspect interstate highways, the under-construction replacement Indian River Inlet Bridge
Indian River (Delaware)
The Indian River is a river and estuary, approximately 15 mi long, in Sussex County in southern Delaware in the United States....
, the Delaware Memorial Bridge
Delaware Memorial Bridge
The Delaware Memorial Bridge is a set of twin suspension bridges crossing the Delaware River. The toll bridges carry Interstate 295 and U.S. Route 40 between Delaware and New Jersey...
on I-295, and other bridges and roads.
West Virginia: In Martinsburg
Martinsburg, West Virginia
Martinsburg is a city in the Eastern Panhandle region of West Virginia, United States. The city's population was 14,972 at the 2000 census; according to a 2009 Census Bureau estimate, Martinsburg's population was 17,117, making it the largest city in the Eastern Panhandle and the eighth largest...
, several government buildings were evacuated, and multiple citizens reported feeling their homes shaking violently enough to rattle picture frames off the walls. In Charleston
Charleston, West Virginia
Charleston is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of West Virginia. It is located at the confluence of the Elk and Kanawha Rivers in Kanawha County. As of the 2010 census, it has a population of 51,400, and its metropolitan area 304,214. It is the county seat of Kanawha County.Early...
, the Kanawha County Courthouse
Kanawha County Courthouse
Kanawha County Courthouse is a historic courthouse located at Charleston, West Virginia. It is located across from the Charleston City Hall, and is a block-long structure constructed in 1892 of rock-face masonry....
, the West Virginia State Capitol
West Virginia State Capitol
The West Virginia State Capitol is the seat of government for the state of West Virginia, and houses the West Virginia Legislature and the office of the Governor of West Virginia. Located in Charleston, West Virginia, the building was dedicated in 1932...
campus, and several other downtown buildings were evacuated; Kanawha County
Kanawha County, West Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 200,073 people, 86,226 households, and 55,960 families residing in the county. The population density was 222 people per square mile . There were 93,788 housing units at an average density of 104 per square mile...
dispatchers received more than 350 calls in 45 minutes, but there were no reports of damage to buildings and infrastructure other than minor plaster
Plaster
Plaster is a building material used for coating walls and ceilings. Plaster starts as a dry powder similar to mortar or cement and like those materials it is mixed with water to form a paste which liberates heat and then hardens. Unlike mortar and cement, plaster remains quite soft after setting,...
cracking in the old courthouse. In Philippi
Philippi, West Virginia
Philippi is a city in — and the county seat of — Barbour County, West Virginia, USA. The population was 2,870 at the 2000 census. In 1861, the city was the site of the Battle of Philippi, known as "The Philippi Races"...
, part of a chimney collapsed at the Barbour County
Barbour County, West Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there are 15,557 people, 6,123 households, and 4,365 families residing in the county. The population density is 46 people per square mile . There are 7,348 housing units at an average density of 22 per square mile...
courthouse. The West Virginia Office of Miners' Health, Safety and Training stated that West Virginia coal mines
Coal mining
The goal of coal mining is to obtain coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content, and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from iron ore and for cement production. In the United States,...
were safe following the tremors. A roof collapse in Patriot Coal Company's Big Mountain Complex forced the closure of the mine.
Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York
Pennsylvania: Trembling was felt in buildings in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh and across the state. In Center City Philadelphia, a window shattered on a lower floor at the Independence Blue Cross buildingG. Fred DiBona Jr. Building
The G. Fred DiBona Jr. Building, formerly known as the Blue Cross-Blue Shield Tower or IBX Tower, is a skyscraper in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania housing the headquarters of Independence Blue Cross...
, and the company sent its 3,000 employees home for the day. Other office buildings in Center City Philadelphia were also evacuated following the earthquake. Workers at the PPL Corporation
PPL (utility)
PPL, formerly known as PP&L or Pennsylvania Power and Light, is an energy company headquartered in Allentown, Pennsylvania, USA. It currently controls about 19,000 megawatts of electrical generating capacity in the United States, primarily in Pennsylvania and Montana, and delivers electricity to...
in Allentown
Allentown, Pennsylvania
Allentown is a city located in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is Pennsylvania's third most populous city, after Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, and the 215th largest city in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 118,032 and is currently...
evacuated the building. The Three Mile Island nuclear plant south of Harrisburg
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Harrisburg is the capital of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 49,528, making it the ninth largest city in Pennsylvania...
continued to operate during the earthquake. The Bucks County
Bucks County, Pennsylvania
- Industry and commerce :The boroughs of Bristol and Morrisville were prominent industrial centers along the Northeast Corridor during World War II. Suburban development accelerated in Lower Bucks in the 1950s with the opening of Levittown, Pennsylvania, the second such "Levittown" designed by...
Courthouse in Doylestown
Doylestown, Pennsylvania
Doylestown is a borough in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, north of Philadelphia. As of the 2010 census, the borough population was 8,380. The borough is the county seat of Bucks County.- History :...
was evacuated following the earthquake. In Philadelphia, SEPTA Regional Rail
SEPTA Regional Rail
The SEPTA Regional Rail system consists of commuter rail service on thirteen branches to over 150 active stations in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States and its suburbs. Service on most lines runs from 5:30 AM to midnight...
trains were restricted to a speed of 25 miles per hour (40.2 km/h) while tracks were inspected for damage, and PATCO Speedline trains were briefly suspended, with no damage reported. The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation
Pennsylvania Department of Transportation
The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation oversees transportation issues in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The administrator of PennDOT is the Pennsylvania Secretary of Transportation, currently Barry Schoch Presently, PennDOT supports over of state roads and highways, about 25,000...
conducted inspections on bridges across the state to check for possible damage. The Delaware River Port Authority
Delaware River Port Authority
The Delaware River Port Authority is a bi-state instrumentality created by a Congressionally approved interstate compact between the governments of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the State of New Jersey...
reported no damage to its four bridges across the Delaware River
Delaware River
The Delaware River is a major river on the Atlantic coast of the United States.A Dutch expedition led by Henry Hudson in 1609 first mapped the river. The river was christened the South River in the New Netherland colony that followed, in contrast to the North River, as the Hudson River was then...
.
New Jersey: Damage in New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
was minor. The state Emergency Management office reported two gas leaks in Gloucester County
Gloucester County, New Jersey
Gloucester County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2010 Census, the population was 288,288. Its county seat is Woodbury....
. In Burlington
Burlington, New Jersey
Burlington is a city in Burlington County, New Jersey, United States and a suburb of Philadelphia. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was 9,920....
, Temple B'nai Israel's 1801 synagogue
Synagogue
A synagogue is a Jewish house of prayer. This use of the Greek term synagogue originates in the Septuagint where it sometimes translates the Hebrew word for assembly, kahal...
building sustained some water damage, and about 20 bricks fell off, damaging a congregant's car. In Camden
Camden, New Jersey
The city of Camden is the county seat of Camden County, New Jersey. It is located across the Delaware River from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city had a total population of 77,344...
, a vacant house partially collapsed, and government buildings were evacuated, with city workers given the option of returning home for the day. Due to damage done by the quake, the municipal government of Woodbury
Woodbury, New Jersey
Woodbury is a city in Gloucester County, New Jersey, in the United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, 10,307 residents were counted. Woodbury is the county seat of Gloucester County....
is seeking to raze the historic Colonel George Gill Green Opera House, which was built in 1880. No infrastructure damage was reported in the state.
New York: Tremors were felt to varying degrees throughout New York State
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. Physical damage was seen in Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
. There were some disruptions, including building evacuations and delays at airports. Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
train service at Penn Station
Pennsylvania Station (New York City)
Pennsylvania Station—commonly known as Penn Station—is the major intercity train station and a major commuter rail hub in New York City. It is one of the busiest rail stations in the world, and a hub for inbound and outbound railroad traffic in New York City. The New York City Subway system also...
was also delayed.
New England
The earthquake was felt throughout much of the six New EnglandNew England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
states.
Connecticut: In New Haven
New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven is the second-largest city in Connecticut and the sixth-largest in New England. According to the 2010 Census, New Haven's population increased by 5.0% between 2000 and 2010, a rate higher than that of the State of Connecticut, and higher than that of the state's five largest cities, and...
, play at the 2011 New Haven Open at Yale
2011 New Haven Open at Yale
The 2011 New Haven Open at Yale was a tennis tournament played on outdoor hard courts. It was the 43rd edition of the New Haven Open at Yale, and was part of the of the Premier Series of the 2011 WTA Tour. It was previously known as "Pilot Pen Tennis". It took place at the Cullman-Heyman Tennis...
tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
tournament was stopped for two hours and the main stadium was evacuated while the fire department checked it for damage. No damage or injuries were reported.
Massachusetts: In Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency reported tremors and swaying buildings but no damage. The U.S. District Court
United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts
The United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts is the federal district court whose jurisdiction is the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, USA. The first court session was held in Boston in 1789. The second term was held in Salem in 1790 and until 1813 court session locations...
in South Boston was evacuated and the University of Massachusetts Boston
University of Massachusetts Boston
The University of Massachusetts Boston, also known as UMass Boston, is an urban public research university and the second largest campus in the five-campus University of Massachusetts system. The university is located on on Harbor Point in the City of Boston, Massachusetts, United States...
closed early.
Maine: In Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
, the earthquake was felt as far north as Augusta
Augusta, Maine
Augusta is the capital of the US state of Maine, county seat of Kennebec County, and center of population for Maine. The city's population was 19,136 at the 2010 census, making it the third-smallest state capital after Montpelier, Vermont and Pierre, South Dakota...
and Portland
Portland, Maine
Portland is the largest city in Maine and is the county seat of Cumberland County. The 2010 city population was 66,194, growing 3 percent since the census of 2000...
, but no damage was reported in the state.
Midwestern states
The earthquake was felt in the Midwestern states as far west as eastern IllinoisIllinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
and Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
.
Ohio: In Columbus
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
, the Huntington Center was briefly evacuated, and occupants on the upper floors of the Rhodes State Office Tower
Rhodes State Office Tower
The James A. Rhodes State Office Tower is a skyscraper located in Columbus, Ohio. The Rhodes Tower was completed and occupied in 1974, and is currently the tallest building in Columbus and the fifth tallest in Ohio...
and the Vern Riffe State Office Tower
Vern Riffe State Office Tower
The Vern Riffe State Office Tower is a 503-foot-tall skyscraper in Columbus, Ohio. It was completed in 1988 and has 32 floors. NBBJ designed the building, which is the fifth-tallest in Columbus, and has 102,192 m² of floor area...
reported feeling strong shaking. Evacuations also occurred in Canton
Canton, Ohio
Canton is the county seat of Stark County in northeastern Ohio, approximately south of Akron and south of Cleveland.The City of Caton is the largest incorporated area within the Canton-Massillon Metropolitan Statistical Area...
and Akron
Akron, Ohio
Akron , is the fifth largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Summit County. It is located in the Great Lakes region approximately south of Lake Erie along the Little Cuyahoga River. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 199,110. The Akron Metropolitan...
. In Cleveland, the press box
Press box
The press box is a special section of a sports stadium or arena that is set up for the media to report about a given event. It is typically located in the section of the stadium holding the luxury box. In general, newspaper writers sit in this box and write about the on-field event as it unfolds...
at Progressive Field shook during the third inning of a Cleveland Indians
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
baseball game.
Michigan: Tremors from the earthquake were felt in Detroit, as far north as Saginaw
Saginaw, Michigan
Saginaw is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the seat of Saginaw County. The city of Saginaw was once a thriving lumber town and manufacturing center. Saginaw and Saginaw County lie in the Flint/Tri-Cities region of Michigan...
, and as far west as communities on Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America and the only one located entirely within the United States. It is the second largest of the Great Lakes by volume and the third largest by surface area, after Lake Superior and Lake Huron...
. There were no reports of damage in the state.
Southern states
The earthquake was felt in several southern states as far from the epicenter as AlabamaAlabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
, but no damage was reported.
Canada
Tremors from the earthquake were also felt in eastern Canada, mostly in Southern OntarioSouthern Ontario
Southern Ontario is a region of the province of Ontario, Canada that lies south of the French River and Algonquin Park. Depending on the inclusion of the Parry Sound and Muskoka districts, its surface area would cover between 14 to 15% of the province. It is the southernmost region of...
, as well as in parts of southern Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
and the Maritime provinces
Maritimes
The Maritime provinces, also called the Maritimes or the Canadian Maritimes, is a region of Eastern Canada consisting of three provinces, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island. On the Atlantic coast, the Maritimes are a subregion of Atlantic Canada, which also includes the...
. In Ontario, a few buildings in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
were evacuated, and precautionary measures were taken in Sudbury and Windsor
Windsor, Ontario
Windsor is the southernmost city in Canada and is located in Southwestern Ontario at the western end of the heavily populated Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. It is within Essex County, Ontario, although administratively separated from the county government. Separated by the Detroit River, Windsor...
.
2011 is the second consecutive year in which an earthquake was widely felt in Southern Ontario and Quebec, the previous being the June 2010 Central Canada Earthquake
2010 Central Canada earthquake
The 2010 Central Canada earthquake was a magnitude 5.0 earthquake that occurred in Central Canada on June 23, 2010, at about 13:41:41 EDT and lasted about 30 seconds....
that also affected that region.
Aftershocks
Numerous aftershocks followed the main tremor. The first four (of moment magnitude 2.8, 2.2, 4.2 and 3.4) occurred within 12 hours of the main shock. A 2.5-magnitude shock occurred just after midnight on August 25, followed at 1:08 am EST by the strongest: a magnitude-4.5 aftershock that woke many residents in Northern VirginiaNorthern Virginia
Northern Virginia consists of several counties and independent cities in the Commonwealth of Virginia, in a widespread region generally radiating southerly and westward from Washington, D.C...
and Washington, D.C. and was felt as far away as New England, Georgia, and Illinois.
Internet activity and social media
The United States Geological SurveyUnited States Geological Survey
The United States Geological Survey is a scientific agency of the United States government. The scientists of the USGS study the landscape of the United States, its natural resources, and the natural hazards that threaten it. The organization has four major science disciplines, concerning biology,...
"Did you feel it?" citizen-based
Citizen science
Citizen science is a term used for the systematic collection and analysis of data; development of technology; testing of natural phenomena; and the dissemination of these activities by researchers on a primarily avocational basis...
earthquake-intensity web site received about 60,000 reports in the first two hours after the quake, and over 100,000 responses within four hours.
According to Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
, the word "earthquake" appeared in the status updates of 3 million users within four minutes of the quake. Twitter
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
said users were sending up to 5,500 messages (tweets) per second, which tops the peak rate immediately following the 2011 death of Osama bin Laden
Death of Osama bin Laden
Osama bin Laden, then head of the Islamist militant group al-Qaeda, was killed in Pakistan on May 2, 2011, shortly after 1 a.m. local time by a United States special forces military unit....
and was "on par with" the rate after the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami
2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami
The 2011 earthquake off the Pacific coast of Tohoku, also known as the 2011 Tohoku earthquake, or the Great East Japan Earthquake, was a magnitude 9.0 undersea megathrust earthquake off the coast of Japan that occurred at 14:46 JST on Friday, 11 March 2011, with the epicenter approximately east...
.
Due to the significantly slower propagation of seismic waves compared to the near-speed-of-light transmission of internet traffic, some Twitter users read about the earthquake seconds before feeling the tremors. For example, Twitter users in such cities as New York City and Boston reported reading tweets about the quake from users in Washington, D.C., or Richmond, Virginia, 15 to 30 seconds before feeling the quake itself.
Wikipedia
Wikipedia
Wikipedia is a free, web-based, collaborative, multilingual encyclopedia project supported by the non-profit Wikimedia Foundation. Its 20 million articles have been written collaboratively by volunteers around the world. Almost all of its articles can be edited by anyone with access to the site,...
had an article dedicated to the earthquake by 2:03 PM, 12 minutes after the event, and it was mentioned in two other Wikipedia articles even earlier.