News: Earthquake Effects Hit Long Island
(Long Island, N.Y.) At nine minutes to two in the afternoon an earthquake centered nearly three-hundred miles from New York City impacted the entire East Coast. Experts claimed that the earthquake was centered in Virginia, some thirty-five miles northwest of Richmond and twenty-five miles east of Charlottesville. The earthquake came from three to five miles below the earth’s surface, a length that in relative terms isn’t a great distance underground.
What was significant about Tuesday’s earthquake were its high magnitude of 5.9 and a preliminary magnitude of 5.8. Some sources claimed that this type of quake was almost the exact same size as the one that devastated Haiti in recent years. As part of the aftermath, phone and wireless networks were down for quite some time, and most callers experienced busy tones.
Police and authorities suggested that the public limit their outgoing calls to conserve the network for emergency complaints. Throughout history, similar earthquakes have produced significant damage in their aftermath. One example of such an earthquake occurred in 1812 and altered the course of the Mississippi River with its extreme 7.7 magnitude.
Nonetheless, many would agree that earthquakes are not considered common along the East Coast, and are especially rare in areas like Washington D.C. where significant damage occurred. People should be aware, however, that there is an East Coast Fault Line, and Tuesday’s earthquake is expected to illuminate the dangers. Thankfully, most reports stated that no tsunamis were expected to occur as the result of the earthquake.
What many Long Islanders did speak about was the topic of hurricanes and tropical storms. Entering the season for these natural weather challenges, most residents fear how possible hurricanes in the area may put a damper on their end of the summer plans. Much of America has been affected by Tuesday’s quake; effects were said to have reached as far south as Chapel Hill, North Carolina and as far westward as areas in Illinois.
Many reports spoke about areas of the White House, Pentagon, and Capital that were shutdown and evacuated as a result of the earthquake. Monuments and memorials were also evacuated and closed. Some are labeling Tuesday’s quake as “the earthquake from N.C. to N.Y.C…”
Research showed that the earthquake was the biggest to hit Virginia since 1897. Residents felt the aftermath of the earthquake as far north as Detroit, Michigan and Cleveland, Ohio. Those who inhabited the upper stories or apartment levels felt more intense effects of the quake.
The East Coast Fault line extends as far south as Alabama, spreading upward to a variety of states. Both inland and coastal areas are affected by the fault line and should be made aware of possible disturbances.
