According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the earthquake had a magnitude of 4.8 on the Richter scale, occurred just over 4 miles outside Whitehouse Station, New Jersey, and had a depth of 1 mile.
Did an earthquake hit Washington, D.C.?
Yes, while the tremors were only light to weak in Washington, D.C., according to the USGS’s community-supported map that tracked where the quake was felt, the earthquake was felt in D.C. and as far north as Maine!
Has Washington, D.C. ever had a major earthquake?
Fortunately, this earthquake was not as strong as the 2011 earthquake outside D.C. in Northern Virginia, which had a magnitude of 5.8 and an epicenter about 38 miles Northwest of Richmond. While that earthquake did cause millions of dollars worth of damage to D.C., including cracking the Washington Monument, there is no reason to suggest any structures in D.C. have been impacted by this morning’s earthquake.