Rocked

A 5.9 magnitude earthquake centered northwest of Richmond, Va., shook much of Washington, D.C., and was felt as far north as Rhode Island and New York City.

The quake sent hundreds of people spilling into the street a block from the White House, with other buildings evacuated in North Carolina and tremors felt as far away as New York City.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the earthquake was 3.7 miles deep. Shaking was felt at the White House and all over the East Coast, as far south as Chapel Hill, N.C. Parts of the Pentagon, White House and Capitol were evacuated. The quake was in Mineral, Va., in Louisa County.

In Purcellville, about 60 miles west of Washington, faculty and staff at Patrick Henry College wondered what was going on. Some estimated that the quake lasted about 15 seconds.

"I thought initially some heavy equipment was being moved nearby or down the halls," said classics professor Steve McRoberts. "It flashed through my mind that maybe the building would collapse or that there was some structural infirmity in the building, but after just a few second I realized it had to be an earthquake."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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