Did You Feel 2.7 Magnitude Earthquake Monday In Virginia?

LOUISA, VA — Part of central Virginia was rattled Monday morning by a 2.7 magnitude earthquake near Louisa, which is about 30 miles east of Charlottesville. The quake happened around 5:04 a.m., according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

The quake's epicenter was located about nine kilometers away from Louisa at a depth of 7.9 kilometers. The USGS has so far received more than 300 reports from Virginians who felt the shaking; they ranged from Dale City and Fredericksburg to Richmond and Charlottesville.

There have been no reports of damage.

This isn't the first quake to hit the area as small quakes were previously recorded in western Henrico County, as well as western Hanover, Louisa and Goochland counties.

In August 2011, NoVA residents felt the wrath of a 5.8-magnitude quake originating in the Mineral area of Louisa, and tens of millions of people were reporting the quake was felt from Georgia to New York City. Earthquake seismologists from across the state recorded 876 aftershock epicenters occurring from Aug. 25, 2011, until Jan. 1, 2012.

Virginia, which is near the center of the North American plate, has recorded more than 160 earthquakes since 1977 — 16 percent of which were felt, according to the Virginia Tech Seismological Observatory. This equates to an average of one earthquake occurring every month with two felt each year.

Since at least 1774, people in central Virginia have felt small earthquakes and suffered damage from infrequent larger ones, the USGS noted. The largest damaging earthquake (magnitude 5.8) in the seismic zone occurred in 2011. Smaller earthquakes that cause little or no damage are felt each year or two.

The forceful 2011 quake did millions of dollars in damage, including to the National Cathedral, the Armed Forces Retirement Home, and the Washington Monument in Washington D.C., as well as minor to major damage to almost 600 residential properties.