East Coast Earthquake Shakes up Area

Warminster resident Jennifer Greener was in her backyard Tuesday afternoon when she felt her chair shaking.

"I thought it was the dog underneath scratching himself," she said. "My husband called a couple minutes later and asked if I felt the earthquake. I guess I did."

The tremors came from the earthquake that hit four miles away from Louisa, Va., at 1:51 p.m., according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The USGS measured the quake at a 5.9 magnitude, matching a similar earthquake taht occurred in 1897 near Blacksburg, Va.

"That is part of the Central Virgina Seismic Zone," said Chuck Ammon, professor of seismology at Penn State University. "They usually occur a couple times a decade, but not as large. "This was a pretty big one."

Disbelief seemed to be the general reaction from the region, judging from comments by Patch.com users.

"I thought a heavy wind came by," wrote Patrick, "then the shaking really picked up and ceiling tiles started moving."

Warminster police dispatch fielded calls from residents wondering what had happened, but there were no emergency calls stemming from the earthquake.

Warminster has general emergency response plans that are applicable to most natural disasters, including earthquakes, but nothing specifically tailored to earthquake management, according to Warminster Fire Marshal Dan Laurich.

"If people are able to get outside, we recommend they do so," Laurich said. "If they can't, get in a doorway or under a table and be mindful of broken glass. If they smell a gas leak, they should call the proper agency."