Earthquake Shakes Toms River, Lasts About a Minute

It was about a minute long.

But emergency responders reported feeling the earth quake in Toms River at approximately 1:51 p.m. today. The earthquake originated in Virginia but rippled at least as far north as Morristown, N.J.

The United States Geological Survey has confirmed that an earthquake has hit Virginia.

The tremor measured a 5.9 on the Richter scale and could be felt along the Jersey Shore, with many witnesses reporting a brief period of shaking.

In Toms River, reports came into Toms River Patch from residents along the Lakewood border, along Route 70, in downtown Toms River and in East Dover describing the ground shake. Residents on two-story homes reported the house swaying; picture frames on walls rattled against the wallpaper.

Toms River Police dispatch has been flooded with calls, but as of this time no known damage as a result of the quake.

National media are reporting the effects of the quake were felt across the state, and as far away as New York City.

The quake registered a magnatude 5.9, upgraded from an origial 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.

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 magnatude, according to the geological survey.

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 Toms River 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.

United Water reported no service interruptions in Toms River, said Jane Kunka, public affairs manager for .

Donna Flynn, public information officer for , said county operations were not impacted.

"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," said Flynn at 3:30 p.m.

The and on Washington Street were not evacuated.

Toms River Mayor Thomas Kelaher said that for about a minute, everyone was certainly wondering what was going on.

“Other than that, we had no impact,” said the mayor.

Kelaher added that fire dispatchers were flooded with calls as residents called 9-1-1 to report tremors from the earthquake, and he urged residents to only call in the event of an emergency so as to keep lines free.

Gov. Chris Christie said in a prepared statement that statewide, impact was minimal: "At this time, no injuries or fatalities have been reported and there are no reports of damage to the state’s infrastructure, including roads, bridges, dams, reservoirs, power grids, transit systems and nuclear power plants."

NJ Transit is cross-honoring tickets for the remainder of the day, and trains, buses and light rail are all operating.

Six Flags Great Adventure was also reportedly closed while the said it was operating normally.

According to Public Relations Director Kristine Brown, Kimball Medical Center in Lakewood and Community Medical Center in Toms River we unaffected by the minor quake that hit the area this afternoon.

"Staff members were quick to respond to the earthquake, checking the buildings and paitents, and confirmed earlier this afternoon that there had been no damage caused and no increase in patients due to the earthquake."

What were you doing during New Jersey's first reported earthquake in some time?

Chris Lowey (32), Jackson: "I was sitting at home when the earthquake hit. My dog was sulking around, as if he had done something bad and was waiting to be punished. I assumed it was the water pipes in the house shifting until I heard some dogs in the neighborhood barking. Then I realized it was a small earthquake."

Michael Downs (42), Beachwood: "I was working on a location when the frame of the building started to sway. At first I thought it was a truck backing into the building, but then someone shouted that it was an earthquake. The guy was from California, and had experienced them growing up. It was scary, seeing a building start to slightly move like that."

Norma Gregoriades (56), Toms River: "I thought I was feeling sick and losing my balance. But then I saw the picture frames on the wall shaking and and cat was hiding under the table. I saw my neighbors going outside, so I went out as well. One of the kids in the neighborhood said that he thought it was an earthquake. I have never heard of an earthquake strong enough to shake buildings and rattle cars hitting New Jersey before."

Kate Bradley (26), Lakewood: "I was taking a nap and did not notice anything. I did not even know we had an earthquake until I saw all the facebook updates and my two dogs were hiding under my bed."

Cathy Fitzgerald (44), Toms River: "I was unpacking groceries when my car started to to shake. I thought I was getting sick, but then I saw my neighbors coming outside because they heard their houses shifting. We didn't know what was going on at the time."