Sitting in the office, on 15th and K, we just experienced the building shake which triggered the fire alarm. More on this later.
Update: CNN reports that the preliminary estimate was a 5.8 earthquake. Attached is a logo of the USGS map of the quake. Our editor Stephen Smith quips: “Well we found our lede!”
Update 2: Fox News reports that the U.S. Capitol, the Pentagon and other buildings were evacuated. Pictures in the Capitol building reportedly fell from the walls.
Update 3: Quake upgraded to a 5.9; details below:
| Magnitude | 5.9 |
|---|---|
| Date-Time |
|
| Location | 37.975°N, 77.969°W |
| Depth | 1 km (~0.6 mile) (poorly constrained) |
| Region | VIRGINIA |
| Distances |
|
| Location Uncertainty | horizontal +/- 10.9 km (6.8 miles); depth +/- 7.4 km (4.6 miles) |
| Parameters | NST=390, Nph=390, Dmin=57.9 km, Rmss=1.17 sec, Gp= 47°, M-type=regional moment magnitude (Mw), Version=6 |
| Source |
|
| Event ID | usc0005ild |
