Community Corner

UPDATE: Lacey Residents Report Feeling Earthquake

Apparent temblor centered in Virginia felt throughout region

Lacey Township residents were shocked as the ground began to shake beneath them after feeling an earthquake reported shortly before 2 p.m. in Virginia.

“I didn’t know what it was at first. I don’t even know how to explain it. It was just different,” Township Administrator Veronica Laureigh said.

Laureigh was out of the office getting lunch at the time of the earthquake when her body began to shake.

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“It was the weirdest sensation in the world. The lunch just hasn’t settled well,” she said.

Customers and employees at the shopping center where Papouli’s Brick Oven Restaurant and Grill is located on Manchester Avenue where shocked when the building began to shake.

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“I thought there was something wrong with me,” said Hank Tsarnas, owner of Papouli’s. “Living in New Jersey all my life, I’m not longer a virgin to earthquakes.”

A waitress was writing a check when the counter began to shake. She thought it was broken.

Other patrons began to question whether it was possible for an earthquake to occur in New Jersey. They analyzed tectonic plates and fault lines.

“I was just surprised. I’m just glad I got through it,” said Sue, who declined to be identified by her last name.

Anthony Palino and Eric Reitmeyer were in a house in Lacey as the earthquake hit.

“We were sitting on the couch and it started shaking,” Palino said. “I turned to Eric and said, “Do you feel that shaking dude?”

Reitmeyer ran upstairs to check on his siblings who told him it was an earthquake. “I went on facebook and immediately all the statuses mentioned earthquake.”

Friends of Lacey Patch on Facebook updated their statuses with their reactions to the earthquake as well.

“I’m so traumatized by the quake, that I don’t think I can cook dinner,” Shannon Tirella Giordano said.

"Time to profit off the earthquake. I'm going to make/sell "Isurvived the 2011 earthquake" t-shirts," Jennifer Folinus-Zseleczky said.

“Well I just experienced my first ever earthquake here in New Jersey! I never thought it would be here instead of SanFran,” Paul McGovern said.

The Lacey Township Police department is fielding many calls as residents had concerns after feeling the earthquake, a dispatcher said.

Administration at the police department was not immediately available to comment on the nature of the phone calls, power outages or to report any damage.

The quake registered a magnitude 5.9, upgraded from an original report of 5.8, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, which tracks earthquakes. It was centered in Mineral, Virginia, southwest of Washington D.C., in the center of the state.

Reports of tremors have come in from all over the Shore area. In Toms River, buildings shook for nearly half a minute. In Manasquan, there were reports of tremors being felt at the beach as a truck's tires moved, and people went running.

The tremors lasted for about 20 to 30 seconds, and seemed to pick up in intensity before stopping.

According to the Ocean County Office of Emergency Management there have been no reports of structural damage or any problems as a result of today's tremor. All county facilities are up and running at this time.

According to Jersey Central Power and Light, fewer than 500 customers are without power in Seaside Park and Lakewood nearby, with no power outages reported in Lacey Township as of 2:30 p.m.

Evacuations of several public buildings were reported in the area, for example Brick Township town hall was temporarily evacuated.

Reports of cell phone service has been affected due to high call volume. Officials are urging callers to please limit cell phone usage to necessary calls to free up networks and to dial 9-1-1 in the event of an emergency.

Mitchell Gaines, a Meteorologists from the Mount Holly office of the National Weather Service said no tsunami warnings have been triggered from the earthquake.

Gaines, however declined to say whether a tsunami warning could be in the offing.

"I cannot comment on that at this time,'' Gaines said. "We have not received any tsunami warnings at this time.''

The earthquake felt throughout the region today matches the largest earthquake ever recorded in Virginia. The last was in 1897 and located in Giles County, Virginia. It also registered a 5.9 magnitude, according to the geological survey.

CNN reports parts of Washington, D.C. have been evacuated, and a Patch reader texted to say the Amtrak train on which she was traveling near Philadelphia was stopped for about half an hour.

The USGS is asking anyone who felt the quake to fill out this online form to help them gather information.

Did you feel the quake? What was it like where you were? Tell us in the comments.

Keith Brown, Graelyn Brashear and Catherine Galioto contributed to this story.


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