Chapel Hill felt the after effects of an earthquake that registered 5.9 on the Richter Scale Tuesday afternoon.
The earthquake’s epicenter hit near Charlottesville, Va., according to central dispatch, said Lt. Kevin Gunter, spokesman for the Chapel Hill police. The epicenter hit at 1:51 p.m., according to the U.S. Geological Survey National Earthquake Information Center.
He said no damage had been reported in the town, which does not usually feel earthquakes.
“This is the first one I recall,” he said.
Gunter said no safety concerns persist, but if citizens are concerned about damage to a building or structure they should evacuate and notify the police.
“I guess there’s always the chance that we might have a little aftershock,” he added.
Earthquakes that happen on the east coast tend to travel further than earthquakes that occur in the west, said Kevin Stewart, an associate professor in the geology department.
“I think historically, Virginia had an earthquake of a similar magnitude, probably 100 years ago,” he said, explaining that east coast earthquakes rarely reach high magnitudes.
Assad Kahn, a UNC junior from High Point, said he was in Sakura on South Columbia Street when the tremors hit.
