At approximately 1:51 p.m. a 5.9 magnitude earthquake occurred that was centered in Mineral Virginia (near Richmond). The earthquake was felt up and down the entire east coast to include the UMBC campus. UMBC Police sent out a text alert at 1:56 p.m. advising people on campus to evacuate all buildings. The police checked critical infrastructures on campus to assess any damage and monitored the situation. It was determined at approximately 2:10 p.m. it was safe to reenter campus buildings. This decision coincided with the Federal Government’s decision to reopen the Pentagon and other Federal buildings. UMBC Police also conferred with the Maryland Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) who advised they had no reports of any structural damage to buildings within Baltimore County.
Please take care and exercise caution when opening cabinets that might house volatile or heavy materials due to shifting during the earthquake. Please refer to the FEMA webpage at http://www.fema.gov/hazard/earthquake/eq_during.shtm for tips on what to do during an earthquake.
