The quate epicenter was located about 45 kilometers (30 miles) west of the state capital of Richmond and some 100 miles (167 kilometers) south of the US capital, according to the National Earthquake Information Center at the Boulder, Colorado-based United States Geological Survey.

The quake, which hit at one minute before 4:00 pm (2100 GMT), was felt throughout much of Virginia and also in parts of Maryland, to the north, and North Carolina to the south.

Most earthquakes on the US mainland are felt on the western seabord, though minor earthquakes are reported about once a year in the east.

TERRA.WIRE