Small Earthquake Hits Central Virginia: Reports

HENRICO COUNTY, VA — A portion of Central Virginia was rattled Sunday night when a 2.5 magnitude earthquake hit in western Henrico County, located northwest of Richmond. The quake happened around 11:55 p.m., according to reports.

The quake's epicenter was located about two miles away from Wyndham and four miles from Short Pump, InsideNoVA reported. There were no reports of damage, according to the Richmond Times-Dispatch.

This isn’t the first quake to hit the area as small quakes were previously recorded in western Henrico County, as well as western Hanover, Louisa and Goochland counties.

In November 2011, NoVA residents felt the wrath of a 5.8-magnitude quake originating in the Mineral area of Louisa, and people were reporting the quake was felt from Georgia to New York City. earthquake seismologists from across the state recorded 876 aftershock epicenters occurring from Aug. 25, 2011, until Jan. 1, 2012.

Virginia, which is near the center of the North American plate, has recorded more than 160 earthquakes since 1977 — 16 percent of which were felt, according to the Virginia Tech Seismological Observatory. This equates to an average of one earthquake occurring every month with two felt each year.

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