Virginia earthquake rattles North America

ENVIRONMENT - On Tuesday around 2 PM a 5.8 magnitude earthquake rocked North America, the epicentre near Mineral, Virginia. The shaking was felt all over the continent. Strong tremors were felt in Washington, New York and as far north as Toronto and Fredericton.

It was the biggest earthquake to hit Virginia since 1897.

The tremors were so strong people were evacuating buildings in Washington, New York, Boston and Toronto.

There were no reports of major damage or injuries from the quake. Two nuclear reactors at a power plant in Virginia went off line, while traffic lights were knocked out throughout Washington.

Flights were grounded briefly in Washington, Philadelphia and New York while authorities inspected control towers and runways. The tremors didn’t affect flights at Toronto Pearson International Airport.

The quake comes just days after a 3.3 magnitude earthquake near Sudbury, Ontario.