Earthquake Felt in Mount Vernon

Customers waiting for their lattes at the Starbucks in Mount Vernon Plaza weren't sure what to expect when tremors rocked the building earlier this afternoon. 

"It was scary," said Javier Davis. "I'm with my three kids. I've never felt a Virginia earthquake."

The magnitude 5.9 earthquake hit Northern Virginia just before 2 p.m. on Tuesday. According to the Associated Press, the quake was felt up and down the East Coast. Reports state that the earthquake was centered near Mineral, VA, 85 miles southwest of Fairfax County. 

Mount Vernon Patch readers on Facebook reacted to the quake. 

"I ran into the street and all my neighbors were out there," said reader Ron Fitzsimmons of Wessynton. 

Progreso Hispano director Cristina Schoendorf initially thought the roof was caving in at the organization's headquarters off of Route 1. 

"Here on Route One our building started shaking and it may have not been a big deal, but for me, who has never experienced a quake, it was scary," she said.

The Fairfax County primary elections will continue as scheduled, Polls close at 7 p.m. The Fairfax County Courthouse and Massey Building are closed for the rest of the day. The South County Center agencies are still operating on normal business hours and the Conference Center is open. 

The Fort Belvoir Bowling Center will reopen at 5 p.m. All Fairfax County Public Schools activities are canceled for this evening. The Mount Vernon Community Band has canceled tonight's rehearsal at Mount Vernon High School.

Dominon reports that one customer in the Mount Vernon area is experiencing a power outage. In Fairfax County, 21 customers are affected by power outages at this time. 

Governor Bob McDonnell issued a statement this afternoon encouraging Virginians to check on their loved ones and to cooperate with law enforcement and emergency officials. 

“We are currently working with federal, state and local agencies to assess the situation and determine if there has been any damage resulting from today’s 5.9 magnitude earthquake which was centered near Mineral in Louisa County," said McDonnell. "As part of this effort we are in touch with officials around the state. All indications are that emergency response plans and orderly evacuations have gone well today, and I thank all involved. All resources of the Commonwealth have been put on alert to assist in any way necessary as we move forward.”

(Correction (August 24, 5:30 p.m.): It has come to our attention that Patch has incorrectly referred to the South County Center as the South County Government Center. We have corrected it and apologize for any confusion.)