A 5.8-magnitude earthquake that struck eastern Virginia shakes the East Coast of the United States. The quake is felt as far north as New Hampshire, as far south as the Carolinas, and as far west as Illinois. In Washington, D.C., government buildings, including the Capitol and White House, are evacuated, filling the streets of the capital with thousands of government workers. Several buildings in New York City are also evacuated, with employees standing in the streets in midtown Manhattan.

The quake, which struck 3 miles (4.9 kilometers) below the surface, occurred in the Central Virginia Seismic Zone. The United States Geological Survey (UGS) describes this region as an area of bedrock that “was assembled as continents collided to form a supercontinent [Pangaea] about 500-300 million years ago, raising the Appalachian Mountains.” Geologists believe the region is riddled with many small, unknown faults.

The last moderate quake in the seismic zone, which had a moment magnitude of 4.8, occurred in 1875. Small earthquakes that cause little or no damage are felt in the zone every one to two years.

Additional World Book articles:

• Earthquakes
• Pangaea