A rare 3.6-magnitude earthquake hit Washington and the surrounding area early Friday. The quake hit 20 miles northwest of the US federal capital, in the state of Maryland, the US Geological Survey (USGS) said. But, it was also felt by those living and working in downtown Washington near the White House, as well as south of the capital in the state of Virginia. The USGS received thousands of reports about the quake, including from states as far away from the epicenter as Georgia, Wisconsin and New York. Earthquakes are unusual on the US east coast, and there is no record of an earthquake ever having been centered in the US capital. The earliest quake known to have affected the capital was in 1758, but it is believed to have been centered in Maryland.
