Virginia Earthquake Surprises Princeton

No, you weren’t imagining the seconds-long shaking that occurred shortly before 2 p.m. on Tuesday. The Earthquake Hazards Program of the United States Geological Survey reported that a magnitude 5.9 earthquake occurred at 1:51 p.m. in Virginia, with an epicenter that was approximately 27 miles east of Charlottesville, and 39 miles northwest of Richmond. Available reports on the depth of the epicenter varied from one-half mile to 3.7 miles.

By mid-afternoon, the Princeton University website carried a Department of Public Safety advisory saying that “anyone on campus who was evacuated from a building can return.”

A Township Police Department spokesperson contacted in the late afternoon said that no injuries or damage had been reported. “You probably shake more when a truck goes by,” she added. Also at that time, Borough Police unofficially said that they had not received any reports of injuries or damage.

Northern New Jersey is located on the Ramapo Fault, which is described by authorities as “a significant ancient crack in the earth’s crust.” It is the longest fault in the Northeast, beginning in Pennsylvania and moving into New Jersey, trending northeast through Hunterdon, Somerset, Morris, Passaic, and Bergen counties before terminating in New York’s Westchester County, not far from the Indian Point Energy Center, a nuclear power plant. At press time, no nuclear power plants had reported any damage as a result of the earthquake.

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