The Richmond Times-Dispatch reports a 5.9 earthquake in Virginia was felt in Washington, New York City and North Carolina this afternoon. Buildings swayed, and damage reports began trickling in within minutes.

The quake rocked Virginia just before 1:55 p.m., and authorities said the epicenter appeared to be in Louisa County, about 40 miles northwest of Richmond. The epicenter is not far from Dominion Virginia Power's North Anna nuclear plant; there was no immediate word from the utility about the status of the facility.

There were no immediate reports of damage as buildings shook and were cleared throughout Richmond and other cities in Virginia, but within minutes, Richmond police began receiving calls about possible property damage. Those calls included a possible stairwell collapse along North First Street downtown, a possible wall collapse along East Broad Street in the city's East End and a possible wall collapse at a structure along Hioaks Road in South Richmond.

William Harper, an employee with the town of Mineral in Louisa County, reported "some building damage" at the municipal offices.

Kevin Hall, a spokesman for U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner, said the Russell Senate Office Building in Washington "swayed" when the quake hit. Staff was evacuated there, and Hall said it was felt by staff in Abingdon, in Southwest Virginia and at an event Warner was attending in Culpeper, too.