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Earthquake Hits Virginia and West Virginia, Little Damage

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ROANOKE, Va. (AP) - The largest earthquake to strike parts of Virginia and West Virginia in nearly 50 years appears to have left little to no damage.

The Roanoke Times reported Wednesday that the quake shook parts of the New River Valley shortly after 1:30 p.m. No damage was immediately reported.  

A Virginia Tech seismograph showed the epicenter just over the state line in West Virginia. The magnitude was between 3.7 and 4.0.

Martin Chapman, the director of the Virginia Tech Seismological Observatory, said the quake is the area's largest since 1968.

Witnesses said it was loud and dramatically shook the earth.

Opponents of the planned Mountain Valley Pipeline have cited earthquakes as a concern. But a federal report said natural gas pipeline would be able to withstand such seismic events.

Don Rush is the News Director and Senior Producer of News and Public Affairs at Delmarva Public Media. An award-winning journalist, Don reports major local issues of the day, from sea level rise, to urban development, to the changing demographics of Delmarva.