August 23rd, 2011
04:06 PM ET

Earthquake shuts down Virginia nuclear plant

An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.9 struck Tuesday afternoon near Washington, D.C., the U.S. Geological Survey said.

The epicenter was in Mineral, Virginia. The quake was four miles deep, according to the USGS. Did you feel it? Send CNN an iReport.

To get complete coverage and all the latest updates, click on CNN's main story here. View a CNN Open Story about the quake. CNN Open Story combines iReports with reports from CNNers across the globe on a map and timeline.

Update 3:36 p.m. ET: Terminal A at Washington Reagan National Airport has been evacuated because of an odor of gas, airport spokeswoman Courtney Mickalonis said. Initial sweeps of the building showed no major damage from the earthquake.

Light structural damage has been reported in Culpepper and Orange counties in Virginia, said Laura Southard of the state Emergency Operations Center. She said there have been no reports of injuries in Virginia.

Update 3:28 p.m. ET: The White House and adjacent buildings evacuated as a precaution following the earthquake have been given the all-clear, the U.S. Secret Service said. The FBI and Justice Department have also reopened evacuated buildings.

Update 3:25 p.m. ET: East Coast residents should be prepared to feel aftershocks from Tuesday's earthquake, a U.S. Geological Survey official said.

Update 3:22 p.m. ET: The North Anna nuclear power plant, located 20 miles from the epicenter, is shut down and in a safe condition, a company official and the Louisa County public information office report. There has been no release of nuclear material, Louisa County spokeswoman Amanda Reidelbach said.

Update 3:04 p.m. ET: All national monuments and parks in Washington are "stable but closed" following Tuesday's earthquake, a United States Park Police spokesman Sgt. David Schlosser said. A couple of minor injuries and some minor structural damage have been reported in Washington, following Tuesday's earthquake, according to Schlosser.

Part of the central tower of the National Cathedral, the highest point in Washington, was damaged, according to spokesman Richard Weinberg. "It looks like three of the pinnacles have broken off the central tower," Weinberg told CNN.

Update 3:02 p.m. ET: Amtrak is reporting service disruptions between Washington and Baltimore because of the earthquake, the company reported on Twitter.

Aftershocks are a concern, U.S. Geological Survey seismologist Lucy Jones told CNN. "People should be expecting (them), especially over the next hour or two," she said.

The quake was felt in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; New York City and on Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, where President Barack Obama is vacationing. It's unknown if the president felt the quake.

The Pentagon has been evacuated, CNN's Barbara Starr reports. "When the building began shaking rather violently, hundreds of people began streaming out," she said, because many people thought that the building was under attack. Starr was standing in the Pentagon's press office when the roof started to shake.

Cell phone service has been disrupted in New York City, CNN learned within minutes of the quake.

Updated 2:47 p.m. ET: A "considerable amount" of water from a water pipe has flooded two corridors of the Pentagon, according to an announcement in the building. People who work in those areas are being asked to stay in their offices while workers try to repair the damage.

The National Cathedral in Washington is damaged, CNN has confirmed.

And Dominion Generation, which operates the North Anna nuclear power station in central Virginia a few miles from the epicenter of the earthquake, is trying to reach operational staff at the plant, according to a company spokesman. Landlines to the plant appear to be down.

Shortly after the quake struck, traders in the New York Stock Exchange also felt the quake and shouted to each other, "Keep trading!" CNN's business correspondent Alison Kosik reported from the floor at 2:20 p.m. E.T.

Twitter traffic suggests the quake was felt all over the East Coast.

In Philadelphia, HunterPence3 tweeted, "Wow Earthquake just shook the entire locker room!"

In Cleveland, "tribeinsider" wrote "I'm no expert but i think we just had an earthquake here."

And even in Toronto, Canada, tweets said that the shaking could be felt for minutes.

Pete Krech, who works at a business in Fredericksburg, Virginia, likened the sensation to being on a jolting amusement ride. "I was receiving a supply truck," said Krech, store manager at Mattress Warehouse of Fredericksburg, south of Washington. "I felt a vibration under my feet."

Brendan Wein, a sales representative at Hoffman Nursery in Roxboro, North Carolina, said he thought there was a helicopter flying above his work building.  "I was literally shaking in my chair," he said.

CNN iReporter Jeff Yapalater said he was in his backyard in New York's Long Island when the earthquake hit. "Suddenly I felt this light swaying of the Earth. I'd never felt that before, so I thought maybe I was experiencing vertigo for a moment, and it lasted maybe 30 seconds ... We're feeling this really far away!" he wrote.

 Post by: ,
Filed under: District of Columbia • Earthquake • Natural Disasters • Virginia
soundoff (12,567 Responses)
  1. Sorin

    Layton (NDP opposition leader, Canada) died from cancer: (Aug 23 posts in G & M, some deleted)
    Remember him for what?!?!?! He was just a hater (God & family). NDP allowed the automotive industry to collapse. You bet the next NDP will do the same.
    Letter from God: He was an angry man. Remember his stupid persistence on global warming and other stupid things he did, that will bring all of you down. These are the facts. God teaches you to tell the truth and some Canadians still do not want to admit that. He has a sure place in hell. There are pple that deserve no respect. 365 days a year. He was ordered to carry a torch and made some of you angrier about God. That was his mission. Foooolish. Bluuuuunder! The grief will be for all, unfortunately. Jackie saw it coming and he didn't stop. The grief will be for all, unfortunately. Jackie & lib saw it coming and they didn't stop.

    August 23, 2011 at 5:54 pm | Report abuse |
  2. John

    I was at beach when a big opening open up. Then, my girl felt another opening and we both got suck up. My girls's mom said, watch out for the opening but it opened too fast. My friend tried to pull me from the opening but my shirts rip open. We run back to the house and thank god the door was open.

    August 23, 2011 at 5:58 pm | Report abuse |
  3. @Matthew

    The gospel writer Matthew tells us that while Jesus Christ was hanging on the cross a mysterious darkness covered the land for three hours (Matthew 27:45). A strange, weird darkness settled down over the world, obscuring the sun until it could be seen no more. A supernatural darkness came over the land from 12–noon until 3 p.m. It was a supernatural manifestation in the natural world. The LORD God caused a darkness to fall over the earth that lasted for three hours. The entire created order was affected by this cosmic event. It was as though all of creation was bowing in sympathy with its Creator. “All the land” can refer to the land of Israel or to “all the earth.” This supernatural darkness intensified the feeling of desolation and despair for everyone who had gathered at the scene of the crucifixion. Jesus was “made to be sin” on the sinner’s behalf and experienced all of the horror of an eternal separation from God. Sin caused the Son of God to cry out, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?”
    To which God replied:
    You have forsaken yourself. You are no more important than my other children. You forgot about humility and grace. I would never cast out a child of mine to be tortured. Sin cannot be washed away with a pagan sacrifice. It can only be undone through hard work and repentance. I also consider stoning children to be barbaric.

    August 23, 2011 at 5:58 pm | Report abuse |
    • wimps

      Oh My God are you serious...get a life loser. How does it feel to follower of the best know magician in the world

      August 23, 2011 at 6:56 pm | Report abuse |
  4. mac

    overkill on the earthquake in va no real damage was done no one hurt bad i lived in orange county ca for 20some yrs this would have been a note on the nightly news what about the one in co and i think it was in nm they dont get them very often ether you want to worry talk about the hurricane heading for the east coast and the ilands its going to go over o ya silly me not enough people involed not news worthy

    August 23, 2011 at 5:58 pm | Report abuse |
  5. Jen

    We were evacuated in Riverdale, MD and the kmart in Prince Frederick had partial roof collapse. They are closed until further notice. Calvert Cliffs and Brownies Beach had damage. Culpeper, VA had structural damage and the target had partial roof collapse.

    August 23, 2011 at 6:00 pm | Report abuse |
  6. Paul Felix Schott

    Lower all taxes while we still have a United States of America.

    When this Old World starts getting you down. From Pollution the cost of OIL, Heating Fuel,The Fuel you put in your Vehicles, You Electric Bills from
    cooling air conditioners and lights not to speak of the Evil. The TAX that all Governments Federal, State, County and City put on everything they can thing of.

    They are supposed to serve us. Not put a burden on its people. That they are elected to serve all the people you, not their own Pocket Books.

    The Wicked keep putting higher taxes on everything. Making it a Heavy Burden on many that are already struggling just to put food on the table.

    Too many Americans have lost their home to the tax collector or to foreclosures from the unjust bankers greed. More are out of work and lost their homes then in the GREAT DEPRESSION, in the last ten years. All Americans and many Nations need good jobs and more of them. Not more TAXES.

    All Taxes need to be lowered now while there is still time to save America.

    There is a Industry that will employ workers and is growing by more then 50% every year. There is a clear way for all up on the roof the Sun Light is free fuel from GOD. Some wicked in Government have been backing Coal, Oil, Gas and the Nuclear industries for too many years.

    These kickbacks to them were called Subsidizing Industry Technology. Most all Wise Men and smart Economist and Environmentalists call this padding their pockets and subsidizing back to the
    Stone Age.

    The best deal would be to lower Taxes for all this is not the Roman Empire.

    The Chinese Know Renewable Energy is a good thing. Most of the rest of the World is still a slave to Oil, Coal and Nuclear Power. All the Governments of the World now know it is wise to use Renewable Energy it is the Local Governments that are a little slow to learn what is best for all not just there pocket book.

    They fear people going off the grid all that tax money they will no longer be able to take from you. Wind and Solar Farms are growing all over the Earth. This could have happened years ago if the greedy wicked were stopped by the Real Good.

    The Freedom to get your own Power from the Wind and Sun, Solar Energy has been there for years. Are Libraries and Schools should have been the first to have gone Solar and Renewable Energy. And why are they not? Churches are all over the Planet. They are going to Solar Energy.

    Thank GOD for the Pioneers like John Schaeffer that Started Real Goods The first and Best catalog for Renewable Energy and Scientist Bill Young at the FSEC Florida Solar Energy Center and Monica D. Key Lindbergh for many years wrote to our legislators promoting Solar and Renewable Energy and many others.

    These Pioneers helped put Wind, Solar And Renewable Energy in the Spotlight for all the World to see.
    The Great Scientist Albert Einstein Stared it with a Dream that the day would come that all the World would use Solar Energy. His discovery of the law of the Photoelectric Effect won him the Nobel Prize in Physics. We still do not teach this to our young.

    GOD Bless all that help tell this to the World

    All Taxes need to be lowered cut in half or there will be a lot more Poor and needy and not in just other countries. This coming year the World will see hunger like never before. More then 100 million will be sick from malnutrition going with out food. Taxing the poor and taking there Land away from them is Wicked.

    Lower taxes for all Americans will create more JOBS. Only the wicked look to tax everything.

    Very soon the Rich will become the Poor.

    If your Legislature will not lower Taxes vote them out of office and VOTE in someone that will Lower your Taxes.

    United We Stand
    In God We Will Always Trust
    True American Patriots

    GOD Bless
    The Lord’s Little Helper
    Paul Felix Schott

    PS
    Earthquake Details

    * This event has been reviewed by a seismologist.

    Magnitude 5.9
    Date-Time

    * Tuesday, August 23, 2011 at 17:51:04 UTC
    * Tuesday, August 23, 2011 at 01:51:04 PM at epicenter

    Location 37.881°N, 77.952°W
    Depth 0.1 km (~0.1 mile) (poorly constrained)
    Region VIRGINIA
    Distances

    * 14 km (9 miles) SSW (195°) from Mineral, VA
    * 17 km (10 miles) SSE (165°) from Louisa, VA
    * 23 km (14 miles) NE (52°) from Columbia, VA
    * 58 km (36 miles) NW (312°) from Richmond, VA
    * 141 km (88 miles) SW (216°) from Washington, DC

    Location Uncertainty horizontal +/- 2.3 km (1.4 miles); depth +/- 3.1 km (1.9 miles)
    Parameters NST= 22, Nph= 23, Dmin=50 km, Rmss=0.44 sec, Gp= 79°,
    M-type=centroid moment magnitude (Mw), Version=B

    August 23, 2011 at 6:05 pm | Report abuse |
    • wimps

      Dude you really need to get a life
      ....or a girlfriend, you have way to much time on your hands.lol

      And if you do have a girlfriend/wife, well she's not doing a very good job. Get another one to occupy your time

      August 23, 2011 at 6:59 pm | Report abuse |
  7. USGS BREAKING NEWS

    Spotsylvania Fault

    August 23, 2011 at 6:07 pm | Report abuse |
  8. oaksweet

    you don't suppose all that fracking has anything to do with it ,
    do you?

    August 23, 2011 at 6:14 pm | Report abuse |
  9. oaksweet

    4 miles deep, same depth as the water slush goes Hmmmmm

    August 23, 2011 at 6:17 pm | Report abuse |
  10. va guy

    Yes it was a minor quake by west coast standards and no it really didn't do much in the way of damage. But it is rare and would be the same as news outlets in California going crazy if it were hit by even a minor hurricane

    August 23, 2011 at 6:19 pm | Report abuse |
  11. M54

    Flet it here in Philadelphia, PA

    August 23, 2011 at 6:33 pm | Report abuse |
  12. Jt $ ("J" as in Jesus "t" as in cross "$" as in the snake on the tree.. plus I like money.. and hookurz)

    Ok ok ok.. So.. My dad just wanted to let everyone know that he's mad at the angels and their HAARPS.. So could we stop all the HAARP playing? Thanks.

    August 23, 2011 at 6:35 pm | Report abuse |
  13. Christy

    @ mac....Thats nice you live in California, and that a quake of his size may not be news worthy where you live but the thing to look at here is that we dont have quakes on a regular basis here so that should say something you nimrod

    August 23, 2011 at 6:36 pm | Report abuse |
  14. HMR

    It saddens me that there are those on this blog (and every blog) who try to turn this into a political debate. This is about our country, and our world people! This country has become so divided that we can't even agree about something that is potentially dangerous, with a nuclear plant being shut down. As for those of you who are making it a religious statement, I happen to agree with you that this is a sign of the times. But preaching to anyone here is mostly falling on deaf ears. Compassion and love is what is needed. Can't we all just love each other again, like I used to believe we did when this country was great? I agree that IN GOD WE TRUST, but I also believe that UNITED WE STAND, DIVIDED WE FALL. Stop listening to the politicians, and pay attention to what is happening here. BTW, I did not feel the earthquake here in Texas, and I am sorry for all those who had damage. Also for those in Colorado. I CARE. God Bless America, our home, sweet home!

    August 23, 2011 at 6:38 pm | Report abuse |
  15. wimps

    YOU PEOPLE ARE A BUNCH OF LOSERS LOOKING FOR ANY EXCUSE TO MAKE YOUR LIVES MORE EXCITING....GET OVER IT, IT WAS JUST A 5.3...WHICH IS BY THE WAY AN ALMOST EVERYDAY OCCURANCE IN CALIFORNIA. BUNCH OF BABIES!!!

    August 23, 2011 at 6:52 pm | Report abuse |
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 151 152 153 154 155 156 157 158 159 160 161 162 163 164 165 166 167 168 169 170 171 172 173 174 175 176 177 178 179 180 181 182 183 184 185 186 187 188 189 190 191 192 193 194 195 196 197 198 199 200 201 202 203 204 205 206 207 208 209 210 211 212 213 214 215 216 217 218 219 220 221 222 223 224 225 226 227 228 229 230 231 232 233 234 235 236 237 238 239 240 241 242 243 244 245 246 247 248 249 250 251 252 253 254 255 256 257 258 259 260 261 262 263 264 265 266 267 268 269 270 271 272 273 274 275 276 277 278 279 280 281 282 283 284 285 286 287 288 289 290 291 292 293 294 295 296 297 298 299 300 301 302 303 304 305 306 307 308 309 310 311 312 313 314 315 316 317 318 319 320 321 322 323 324 325 326 327 328 329 330 331 332 333 334 335 336 337 338 339 340 341 342 343 344 345 346 347 348 349 350 351 352 353 354 355 356 357 358 359 360 361 362 363 364 365 366 367 368 369 370 371 372 373 374 375 376 377 378 379 380 381 382 383 384 385 386 387 388 389 390 391 392 393 394 395 396 397 398 399 400 401 402 403 404 405 406 407 408 409 410 411 412 413 414 415 416 417 418 419 420 421 422 423 424 425 426 427 428 429 430 431 432 433 434 435 436 437 438 439 440 441 442 443 444 445 446 447 448 449 450 451 452 453 454 455 456 457 458 459 460 461 462 463 464 465 466 467 468 469 470 471 472 473 474 475 476 477 478 479 480 481 482 483 484 485 486 487 488 489 490 491 492 493 494 495 496 497 498 499 500 501 502 503 504 505 506 507 508 509 510 511 512 513 514 515 516 517 518 519 520 521 522 523 524 525 526 527 528 529 530 531 532 533 534 535 536 537 538 539 540 541 542 543 544 545 546 547 548 549 550 551 552 553 554 555 556 557 558 559 560 561 562 563 564 565 566 567 568 569 570 571 572 573 574 575 576 577 578 579 580 581 582 583 584 585 586 587 588 589 590 591 592 593 594 595 596 597 598 599 600 601 602 603 604 605 606 607 608 609 610 611 612 613 614 615 616 617 618 619 620 621 622 623 624 625 626 627 628 629 630 631 632 633 634 635 636 637 638 639 640 641 642 643 644 645 646 647 648 649 650 651 652 653 654 655 656 657 658 659 660 661 662 663 664 665 666 667 668 669 670 671 672 673 674 675 676 677 678 679 680 681 682 683 684 685 686 687 688 689 690 691 692 693 694 695 696 697 698 699 700 701 702 703 704 705 706 707 708 709 710 711 712 713 714 715 716 717 718 719 720 721 722 723 724 725 726 727 728 729 730 731 732 733 734 735 736 737 738 739 740 741 742 743 744 745 746 747 748 749 750 751 752 753 754
« Back to main