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Earthquake Shakes Plaza College

August 24, 2011

# 202, 74-09 37th Ave, Jackson Heights, NY 11372
www.plazacollege.edu    (718) 779-1430
 *** Press Release ***


At approximately 2:00pm, a 5.9 magnitude Earthquake hit Virginia yesterday, Tuesday August 24th. Although it struck 300 miles away, the entire East Coast shook, including Jackson Heights, New York.

The epicenter of the earthquake was near Mineral, Virginia; about 85 miles outside our nation’s capital of Washington, DC.  According to an article posted by ABC WorldNews, “the pillars of the capital in Washington, DC shook. Alarms sounded in the FBI and Department of Justice buildings, and some flooding was reported on an upper floor of the Pentagon as a result of the quake.”

Plaza College quickly took action and evacuated campus buildings once desks started moving and bookcases began trembling.

Queens residents spoke to the Queens Courier, reporting their experience with the quake. “I felt the earthquake. It was weird. I didn’t know what to do,” said Lisa Heron of Springfield Gardens. She added that she was “relieved when it stopped.” Another Queens resident from Bayside said he was “sure it was either construction or the train,” (Queens Courier).  

NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg spoke with city police and fire commissioners, and said they’ve activated the Office of Emergency Management’s Situation Room (Queens Courier). Bloomberg said, “Thankfully, there are no reports of significant damage or injuries in NYC at this time… Shortly before 2.pm. we evacuated City Hall briefly, but quickly returned to work. As we await more news from Virginia and elsewhere, our thoughts in NY are with those who were more directly affected by this natural disaster,” (Queens Courier).

The last recorded earthquake to rattle the Northeast Coast was in November of 2010, when a minor 3.9 magnitude quake was detected off the coast of Long Island from Massapequa to East Hampton.

Plaza College has an emergency response plan to ensure the safety and security of all students and faculty in the event of an emergency, including natural disasters.

For more information on the earthquake that struck Virginia, click here. Post your earthquake story, including where you were and your experience with it, below or on the Plaza College Facebook page.

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