Earthquake Reported near Washington, D.C.; Felt in State College

UPDATE @ 4:13 p.m.: The earthquake does not appear to have been strong enough to cause damage in central Pennsylvania, a Penn State professor told StateCollege.com. We’ve posted a much more thorough, comprehensive local report on this page.

Earlier coverage is posted below.

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UPDATE @ 2:28 p.m.: Penn State ordered no official building evacuations as the earthquake struck Tuesday afternoon, the university’s public-information office reported.

‘Occupants of some buildings evacuated as they felt the shaking, although there was no official evacuation, and people have returned to their normal activities,’ reads a Penn State statement released shortly after 2 p.m. ‘Anyone who notices any damage to any university facilities should report it to the Office of Physical Plant on their campus.’

StateCollege.com will post additional information as it becomes available.

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Earlier coverage, posted @ 2:13 p.m.

A 5.8-magnitude earthquake struck Virginia near Washington, D.C., shortly before 2 p.m. Tuesday, a preliminary U.S. Geological Survey report shows.

The earthquake, which preliminarily appears to have been brief, was felt across at least several states, including in the State College area.

Emergency radio communications in Centre County suggest that some power lines may have fallen as a result of the earthquake.

StateCollege.com will post additional information as it becomes available.

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