Earthquake strikes this afternoon just south of Dillwyn

A earthquake with a magnitude of 3 struck Virginia today just after one p.m. with an epicenter eight kilometers south of Dillwyn.

A low rumble could be felt for at least 20 seconds before the quake ended. Many people appear to have felt the quake according to a map on the United States Geological Service.

“The area where the earthquake occurred is within the Central Virginia Seismic Zone, an area of low magnitude, but persistent seismicity,” said Anne Carter Witt, a geohazards geologist with the Virginia Department of Energy. “The earthquake was recently upgraded to a M3.0, but it was significantly smaller than the 2011 Mineral earthquake which was a M5.8.”

That earthquake caused about $90 million in local damages and was significant enough to cause Tyler Hammel to write a ten-year retrospective back in 2021.

There was no damage reported in Albemarle from today’s less-intense earthquake and the county does not have a specific plan for what to do if a stronger one strikes.

“We would follow our normal emergency response plans for this incident similar to any other potentially escalating situation,” said Abbey Stumpf, the county’s director of communications and public engagement. “We do not have a specific earthquake appendix to the Emergency Action Plan. We would follow an all-hazards/natural disaster approach to any necessary response.”

Witt wrote in an email that the terrain of central Virginia is made up of rocks that transmit energy during earthquakes which is why so many people felt today’s shake.

“The rocks in central Virginia are very hard and mostly composed of crystalline metamorphic and igneous rocks, so they transmit seismic waves very well,” Witt said. “Kind of like ringing a bell.”

Witt provided several resources for anyone who wants to learn more.

• A general information page on earthquakes in Virginia
• A website on mapping earthquakes as a hazard
• A 24-page report on the history seismic activity in Virginia

Did you feel it? Leave a comment! I’ll leave my experience below.

Top photo: A screenshot of a map with reports from people who felt today’s 3M earthquake (Credit: United States Geological Survey)

Before you go: This story originally went out in the May 6, 2025 edition of Charlottesville Community Engagement. Take a look here! For more information, please visit this page which is in the process of being updated!