The question everyone seems to be asking this afternoon is – "Did you just feel that?" The answer Long Island (at least from the Kings Park-Smithtown area) – is yes, we did feel that. If you are wondering what happened, here's the scoop: Virginia was just hit with a massive 5.9 magnitude earthquake, the most powerful quake that has hit the state in decades. Tremors could be felt from the Nation's Capital in DC all the way up New York City, with many office buildings, as well as the Pentagon being evacuated for safety reasons. There have also been reports from New Hampshire and upstate New York of seismic activity. Luckily for Long Islanders, the tremors that we felt were nowhere near the level of what shook up Virginia, and there have been no injury or major damage reported on Long Island at this time. Local officials are asking that residents stay calm, and the US Weather Service is saying that they are not expecting a tsunami as to hit the area as an after effect of the quake. The tremors reached the Island around 2pm, and thus far there have been no more reports of seismic activity local to New York – but we will keep you posted if there are any further updates. Suffolk Police have asked that if you have a non-emergency quake related problem to report, please call: 631-852-COPS (2677) for assistance. **UPDATE** Thankfully, there have been no reports of death, injury, or major property damage on Long Island due to Tuesday’s earthquake. Virginia, Maryland, D.C. and the surrounding area have reported damages to building structures, there have been no such reports in New York at this time. Also, the risk for follow-up tremors in New York has been assessed as minimal.
