Once-a-century 5.8 mag quake rocks US East Coast

There were no reports of major damage or serious injuries from the 5.8 magnitude quake, which was centered in Mineral, Virginia, about 90 miles southwest of Washington, D.C.

It was the largest quake in Virginia since 1897 and struck at a shallow depth, increasing its potency.

The Pentagon, White House and U.S. Capitol were evacuated in Washington, and thousands of alarmed workers scurried into the streets up and down the East Coast as the lunchtime quake sent items crashing down from store and office shelves.

"We were rocking," said Larry Beach, who works at the U.S. Agency for International Development in downtown Washington. "It was definitely significant."

Federal workers were sent home early.

Washington's National Cathedral, host to state funerals and memorial services for many U.S. presidents, suffered damage with three spires in the central tower breaking off.

The U.S. East Coast does not normally experience quakes as strong as Tuesday's. The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake was of 5.8 magnitude, downgrading an earlier estimate if 5.9.

Earthquakes of magnitude 5.5 can cause damage to buildings and other structures.

In addition to the Virginia earthquake, there were nine tremors in the area immediately around Cokedale, Colorado, near the border of New Mexico.