5.9 Magnitude Virginia Earthquake Felt in Hamilton

By RTH Staff
Published August 23, 2011

News

The United States Geological Service (USGS) reports a 5.5 magnitude earthquake at 1:51 PM today, 6 km deep and centred at 37.936° N, 77.933° W, 8 km south of Mineral VA and 61 km northeast of Richmond. The quake was felt in Hamilton at 1:54 PM.


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This follows a 2.2 magnitude shock yesterday at 4:00 AM centered just 3 km south-southwest of Girard OH.

Anecdotal reports from Hamilton ON, Waterloo ON, upstate New York, Washington DC, Harrisburg PA and Raleigh NC suggest the earthquake was felt widely.

According to the Wall Street Journal, the Pentagon and Capitol Building in Washington were evacuated. Fox News reported that John F. Kennedy Airport in New York City was shut down.

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By lynne (registered)
Posted August 23, 2011 at 14:12:51

You guys are awesome! You reported on the earthquake ahead of everyone else. I'm still waiting for our large Canadian News sources to report.

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Comment Score: 4 (6 votes)
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By willy (registered)
Posted August 23, 2011 at 15:30:27 in reply to Comment 68368

I was masterbating at that time and thinking FINALLY !!

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Comment Score: -2 (8 votes)
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By ??? (anonymous)
Posted August 23, 2011 at 14:34:22 in reply to Comment 68368

It was felt in West Hamilton, Ontario as well.

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By nathanielzedo (anonymous)
Posted August 23, 2011 at 14:13:11

We felt it here in Simcoe Ontario

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Comment Score: 4 (6 votes)
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By mystoneycreek (registered) - website
Posted August 23, 2011 at 14:16:12

I felt it here at 1:54 PM.

The large plastic containers by my desk began moving back and forth; I thought it was the stiff wind coming in the window.

I believe that's the second one in just over a year we've felt?

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Comment Score: 3 (5 votes)
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By Natz (anonymous)
Posted August 23, 2011 at 14:16:25

We felt it here in missisuaga, ON

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By anon (anonymous)
Posted August 23, 2011 at 14:17:07

Felt in Vaughan, as well!

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By anonymus (anonymous)
Posted August 23, 2011 at 14:17:53

we felt it in waterloo!!!

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Comment Score: 3 (5 votes)
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By R Don Lyres (anonymous)
Posted August 23, 2011 at 14:18:54

It's getting pretty bad when you have to go to RTH for information on the earth tremblor you just felt. I was unable to access any of the sites operated by the NRC.

From where I am, the third floor of brick house near the foot of the escarpment, my Galileo thermometer seems to act like a sort of seismometer. As with the larger one last year the glass balls in the thermometer were vibrating around in the fluid, with small waves at the surface. Last year there were almost whitecaps.

Today the vibration was much smaller but lasted for easily several minutes. Every twenty seconds or so there would be stillness for a moment, then the ripples resumed.

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Comment Score: 3 (5 votes)
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By Ryan (registered) - website
Posted August 23, 2011 at 14:19:45 in reply to Comment 68374

It's getting pretty bad when you have to go to RTH for information on the earth tremblor you just felt.

Hey hey - easy, there. :)

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Common sense is that which tells us the world is flat.
-- Stuart Chase

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By Bob (anonymous)
Posted August 23, 2011 at 14:19:30

I did not feel anything! When did it happen?

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By Ryan (registered) - website
Posted August 23, 2011 at 14:27:09 in reply to Comment 68375

1:51 PM, according to the USGS.

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Common sense is that which tells us the world is flat.
-- Stuart Chase

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By jenny (anonymous)
Posted August 23, 2011 at 14:21:06

Earthquake was felt in Chapel Hill and Raleigh, NC

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By aktiva (anonymous)
Posted August 23, 2011 at 14:21:50

Nothing in Stoney Creek by the lake:
but a few nights ago: felt a big shift

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By StoneyCreeker (anonymous)
Posted August 24, 2011 at 11:35:59 in reply to Comment 68378

I was in Stoney Creek, 200m from the lake and felt it big time. The chair I was in shook for a second or two.. felt really weird. I could also hear the books in a bookshelf moving a bit but couldn't see any shaking.

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By richieopp (anonymous)
Posted August 23, 2011 at 14:25:51

Felt in Delta State Nigeria as well. I was grilling turkey for my Great Grand fathers wrestling coach when the turkey started jumping. I thought it was a spiritual war between one of my late friends and I. Being a ninja I moved to hia ichimonji no kamae, threw a few smoke bombs and dissappeard into my basement.

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Comment Score: -2 (4 votes)
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By Elle (anonymous)
Posted August 23, 2011 at 14:30:50

We felt it in Towanda, PA.

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By Nosy Nate (anonymous)
Posted August 23, 2011 at 14:32:53

Felt it in Leamington for a few seconds.

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Comment Score: 3 (3 votes)
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By rscheffler (anonymous)
Posted August 23, 2011 at 14:36:44

Hey guys, you can file a report with the USGS through this link: http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/dyfi/events/us/c0005ild/us/form.en.disabled.html

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Comment Score: 2 (2 votes)
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By Capitalist (anonymous)
Posted August 23, 2011 at 14:39:11

Oh I felt it...yeah

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By Anonymous (anonymous)
Posted August 23, 2011 at 14:39:43

It was felt here in Sykesville, PA ... weird!

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By DArielR (registered)
Posted August 23, 2011 at 14:40:12

My house in Dundas shook for at least 45 seconds - then small afterbumps. More coming???

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By Downtown Hamilton (anonymous)
Posted August 23, 2011 at 14:42:46

Yes, we felt it in Downtown Hamilton - our desks were swaying for a few seconds, most of us left the building, just in case!

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By Luch (anonymous)
Posted August 23, 2011 at 14:42:57

We are situation in Hamilton, On and we felt the quake here. The Hamilton news was all over it pretty quickly.

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By mrjanitor (registered)
Posted August 23, 2011 at 14:47:31

I was asleep after working midnights last night and don't remember feeling anything, but when I woke up the clock said 1:55. Maybe it shook me awake?

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I am the love child of Karl Marx and Ayn Rand

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By nv (anonymous)
Posted August 23, 2011 at 15:29:06

Work in office building in hamilton ontario the tremor lasted 30 to 60 seconds my desk and cubical began to shake/sway it got more noticable then stopped, i just stared at everything shaking, canadians are like deer in a head lights when it comes to these things I thought I was just imagining it, so I stood up and asked if anyone else felt it and mainly the whole office builing in deed felt it, so Im not crazy, if they didn't that would have been embarassing. :P well back to work good to know no one was hurt! Hopefully no more natural disasters anytime soon! fingers crossed! :)

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By VIC (anonymous)
Posted August 23, 2011 at 16:36:22

Also felt the shaking in SIMCOE ONTARIO

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By NoSugarAdded (registered)
Posted August 24, 2011 at 10:49:28

I was at wine tasting and felt nothing but good Ontario (@Hamilton only winery) wine!

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By Art Brut (anonymous)
Posted August 26, 2011 at 12:21:25

Tweetquake!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJ1EQbmJ_LQ

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By Jemblor (anonymous)
Posted August 27, 2011 at 20:04:59

In my building downtown we felt a strong shake for 2 minutes, then a 90mph gust of wind followed by 3 more minutes of violent shaking. Then 45mm of rain mied with basketball size hail. I wasn't scared.

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