Magnitude 5.8 Earthquake Strikes Fredericksburg

A terrible trembling has apparently shaken the city of Fredericksburg and other areas in northern Virginia. The incident happened around 1:50 p.m. Details are scarce at the moment, but twitter is lighting up with reports of tremors in Fredericksburg, King George, and Manassas among others.

The tremors sent people scurrying into the streets here near the home offices of Fredericksburg Patch on Forbes Street.

Hector Correra, a painter working at 1314 Caroline Street was on top of a ladder scraping paint when the quake struck.

"It was weird." said the shaken Correra. He said he's never felt an earthquake in Virginia before. 

According to a message broadcast to police officers on emergency frequencies with the University of Mary Washington, a magnitude 5.8 quake struck the city. The message did not name its source. 

Police and emergency radio messages indicate that personnel are inspecting buildings on the campus for damage and that all buildings are being evacuated. 

Calls are out to the United States Geological Service for more information. Stay tuned to Fredericksburg Patch as more details are learned.