UPDATE: Earthquake Hits the D.C. Region

Update, 8:46 p.m.: The U.S. Geological Survey is reporting that a third aftershock has occurred in Virginia, according to The Washington Post. The shock registered 4.2-magnitude at 8:04 p.m.

Two earlier aftershocks were reported by News4 meteorologist Doug Kammerer: a 2.8-magnitude aftershock at 2:46 p.m. and a 2.2-magnitude aftershock at 3:20 p.m. During the 6 p.m. newscast, Kammerer said more aftershocks may occur in the coming days.

Update, 6:17 p.m.: Now that you've survived the earthquake and the commute home, it's time to unwind with quake-themed specials. We will up date this list if we hear of more. 

 is running a special promotion right now for the earthquake called “shake it off with a shake." All shakes will be half off for the rest of the day.

Let us know of specials you find via Twitter or Facebook!

Update, 5:07 p.m.: Gov. Martin O'Malley released a statement concerning this afternoon's earthquake, promising to monitor safety concerns for Maryland residents.

“Presently, there are no reports of significant damage or incidents and we will continue to monitor the situation closely, particularly over the next 24 to 48 hours," O'Malley said. "We will be paying close attention to our utilities for problems with water mains or gas lines that may not be present immediately following an earthquake." 

For updates on the earthquake follow Potomac Patch on Twitter.

Update, 4:01 p.m.: MCP is investigating reports of minor structural damage and calls for some broken water and gas lines, but nothing is confirmed. 

Authorities encourage residents to check homes for obvious signs of damage, and to check-in on neighbors. Those who smell gas or smoke should immediately evacuate the area and call 911.  

Update, 3:37 p.m.: Pepco's StormCenter reports that 146 Montgomery County residents have been affected by outages. Follow the outage map here.

Update, 2:44 p.m.: Montgomery County Police and fire rescue have confirmed that today's earthquake has affected phone communication in Montgomery County, Md.

The 911 call center is operational, but authorities request community members only call to report emergencies, not to request information. There is no known structural damage, according to Lucille Baur, deputy director of Montgomery County Police Media Services Division.

Original post, 2:27 p.m.: An earthquake hit the Washington, D.C. region at approximately 1:53 p.m. Tuesday, lasting 20 to 25 seconds, WTOP reports.

The quake measured preliminary magnitudes of between 5.8 and 6.0 on the Richter scale and was centered just outside Mineral, VA.

According to WTOP, the earthquake "shook virtually the entire East Coast." It was felt as far north as Toronto, Canada and as far south as Charlottesville, VA.

WTOP also received reports that the quake was felt in Michigan and Ohio.

Area buildings are being evacuated including the Pentagon and the U.S. Captiol, reports MSNBC.

What is Twitter saying?

@ragtum: @PotomacPatch Felt the #Quake along 7 Locks Rd

@PrepMatters: @potomacpatch We felt it on Cordell Ave @PrepMatters - that was long!

@telgawhary: @PotomacPatch Just felt it in North Potomac. Lasted about 1 min.

@NoFish2Fry:  @PotomacPatch EARTHQUAKE 1:53 pm