Crime & Safety
Small Earthquake Shakes Central Virginia: Did You Feel It?
The United States Geological Survey said an earthquake hit shortly before 6 p.m. Friday, and was felt as far north as Fredericksburg.
CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, VA — A preliminary 2.4-magnitude earthquake rattled Central Virginia on Friday evening, according to the United States Geological Survey.
The agency said the quake struck around 5:52 p.m.
The epicenter was located about 11 kilometers south of Woodlake in Chesterfield County, officials said, or about 20 miles southwest of Richmond.
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Richmond-based WRIC received several reports from viewers who felt the quake in the Greater Richmond region, including in Chesterfield and Henrico counties. The event also registered on both the Blacksburg and Fredericksburg seismographs.
It's unclear if anyone suffered injuries in the quake.
Find out what's happening in Across Virginiafor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Did you feel it? Report it to the USGS for tracking purposes.
The earthquake likely occurred along the Central Virginia Seismic Zone, the same fault line that produced one of the strongest quakes to ever hit the East Coast.
In August 2011, a 5.8-magnitude quake hit Mineral. Millions of people throughout the eastern United States felt the quake's tremors, yet no lives were lost. Still, the earthquake caused an estimated $200 to $300 million in damage.
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