Community Corner

Did You Feel the Earth Move?

Earthquake in Virginia shakes up New Jersey. Where were you when you felt it, and what was it like?

An earthquake that hit Virginia just north of Richmond at 1:51 p.m. Tuesday sent shockwaves up and down the East Coast and surprised Livingston residents, many of whom had never experienced an earthquake before.

Did you feel that? people turned to one another and asked. Reports were rampant on Facebook and Twitter of folks feeling the earth move all over the East Coast.

And it wasn't their imaginations.

Find out what's happening in Livingstonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The National Weather Service is reporting that the earthquake measured 5.8 on the Richter scale and originated about 34 miles northwest of Richmond, Va., near the towns of Louisa and Mineral. The earthquake caused evacuations of both the Capitol Building and Pentagon in Washington, D.C.

Detective Sgt. Anthony Dippold was at the Livingston Police Station when the quake hit. “We felt the building shaking … actually it felt like it was swaying a bit,” Dippold said. “I’ve never felt an earthquake before.”

Find out what's happening in Livingstonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

And indeed it was. In Livingston, we were feeling a minor earthquake that rattled Essex County shortly before 2 p.m. The quake measured 2.2 on the Richter Scale, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

The USGS classified the quake in the New York metro area as a category IV which has "light shaking" and "no damage."

No injuries or fatalities have been reported and there are no reports of damage to the state’s infrastructure, including roads, bridges, dams, reservoirs, power grids, transit systems and nuclear power plants, according to a statement from Gov. Chris Christie.

But it certainly was the talk around town.

Lynne Ranieri of the Millburn Short Hills Historical Society was at the museum at the train station when she felt it.

"I first heard the roof and rafters creak and groan and thought a freak wind gust hit us. It continued and I began to feel a little swaying/dizziness, with louder creaking," she said.

"Because of where we are, along the tracks, my next thought was that it was from some massive train accident not far from here, or that our underground pipes were about to rupture. When the swaying became more intense, I ran outside and knew then that it was an earthquake. 

"What a stomach-turning experience when that dependable, solid earth beneath your feet turns to swaying jello," she said.

Livingston and Millburn police said residents made numerous calls to 911, and municipal emergency services are checking several buildings in Millburn at the request of their occupants but so far none has suffered any damage. Dippold said he was not aware of any damage in Livingston.

“People were concerned and we told them they were the tremors and advised them that Livingston was safe and to turn on the television news for more information," Dippold said.

The New Jersey Office of Emergency Management is monitoring the effects of the earthquake across the Garden State. There were few reports of damage to any infrastructure in the state.  

Roadways, bridges and tunnels all seem to be intact. Mobile phone service was unavailable for many users, but preliminary indications are that this disruption was due to an extremely high call volume generated by users.  

Although aftershocks cannot be ruled out, the distance from the epicenter would indicate that there is need not be a great concern for New Jersey residents, the state Office of Emergency Management said.

Public Service Electric and Gas Company (PSE&G) reported no operational or safety issues as a result of the earthquake.

Decisions to evacuate businesses were made on a local basis. CBS News reported that the Pentagon was evacuated but later deemed safe to re-enter. Newark City Hall was evacuated shortly after the quake, which happened just before 2 p.m.

In Maplewood, Rod Hernandez tweeted under "Luke's Kitchen" that "Within seconds the entire room was undulating as only an earthquake will do. It made the mirrors ripple like water."

A South Orange resident described the shake like a team of football players up on his roof -- dancing.

In Virginia, Paul Campolieto, a lab manager in Charlottesville at the University of Virginia, just 30 miles from the quake's epicenter, was on the fifth floor of a campus lab building when the quake hit. He told Patch the quake was "scary, but really wasn't all that bad."

"We're surrounded by graduated cylinders and glassware and nothing fell. When it happened we all sort of stopped and looked at each other and said 'Oh, we're having an earthquake'."

"For a second, it felt like a train was rolling behind the house or something," said Pete Curry, who is studying piano at Virginia Commonwealth University, "except the whole house was shaking. You could see it in the windows and feel it in the floor."

According to the Federal Emergency Management Association, New Jersey ranks low on the list of states at risk for experiencing an earthquake.

Earthquake hazards are measured as the likelihood of experiencing earthquake shaking of various intensities, according to FEMA. Northern New Jersey is put in a category that's low on the list and described as "having a hazard shaking of moderate intensity," which could be felt by all and could lead to slight damage.

Quakes of this magnitude are uncommon, but not unheard of in New Jersey. For a history of quakes in the Garden State, click here.

The USGS is asking those who felt the earthquake to fill out an online survey to assist their information gathering.

A Facebook page for Earthquake in Fredericksburg 2011 has been created by Patch for people to share stories. You can see that here.

To see the USGS map, click here.

Chris Nesi and Mary Mann contributed to this report.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here