3.0 Magnitude Earthquake Shakes Virginia, Felt Across Multiple States

A magnitude 3.0 earthquake struck central Virginia just after 1:00 PM ET today, rattling residents and sending tremors through parts of the East Coast. The quake's epicenter was located roughly five miles south of Dillwyn, a small town in Buckingham County, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).

Although no damage or injuries have been reported as of mid-afternoon, the quake was widely felt across the region. Over 150 people from Virginia, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Maryland submitted shaking reports to the USGS. The tremor registered Intensity Level IV, described by the agency as "moderate shaking"—often noticeable indoors and capable of rattling dishes, rocking parked cars, and waking people from sleep.

Earthquakes in Virginia: Rare but Not Impossible

While earthquakes are uncommon in Virginia, they are not unprecedented. The state lies in the center of the North American tectonic plate, far from active plate boundaries like those along the West Coast. However, deep underground faults still crisscross the region, occasionally triggering noticeable seismic activity.

Today's quake occurred at a depth of approximately five miles, a typical range for quakes in Virginia, which often strike between three and fifteen miles below the surface. These intraplate earthquakes tend to occur deeper than those on the West Coast and are often not easily linked to known faults.