With a maximum Mercalli intensity of VIII (Severe) this shock destroyed many chimneys and created ground effects over a large area.
It had a magnitude of 5.6 Mfa (a seismic scale that is based on an isoseismal map or the event's felt area) and had severe effects in Narrows, where ground motion was observed and the flow of streams was disrupted.
[1] On December 9, 2003, at 3:59 pm EST (20:59 UTC), a magnitude 4.5 event occurred near Farmville about 30 miles (48 km) west of Richmond, and was felt strongly across the state.
Tremors were reported in North Carolina, Washington DC, and suburban Maryland, eastern West Virginia, southern Pennsylvania, and portions of the Delmarva Peninsula.
[2] The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) reported that a magnitude 5.8 Mw earthquake hit Virginia on Tuesday, August 23, 2011, at 17:51:04 UTC (1:51 pm Eastern Daylight Time).