3.6 EARTHQUAKE HITS DC

Extremely Rare Earthquake Hits DC After Appeals Court Denies a Vote on Homosexual Marriage
Tags: DC, earthquake, Gerasimos Michalitsianos, President Barack Obama, Washington
July 17, 2010 12:50 PM | 1 Comment | No TrackBacks
Washington, D.C.-area residents are used to politicians being the region's movers and shakers, so it was a surprise when a 3.6-magnitude earthquake struck early Friday.

Was it a passing truck? A low-flying plane?

Gerasimos Michalitsianos, who will be a senior at the University of Maryland, College Park, was sitting on his couch reading e-mails when the temblor occurred.

"I didn't actually know that I was in an earthquake," said Michalitsianos, who is studying post-seismic relaxation, how the ground changes after major earthquakes.

Michalitsianos said he found out he'd been through an earthquake when he looked online.

The earthquake rattled windows and jostled dishes but apparently caused no serious damage.

President Barack Obama told reporters that he didn't feel it.

It was the strongest to hit within 30 miles of D.C. since officials began keeping records in 1974. The quake, at 5:04 a.m., was centered in the Rockville, Md., area. There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage.


SOURCE: The Associated Press
Karen Mahabir and Jessica Gresko