A 5.9-magnitude earthquake centered in Virginia rattled Washington DC and sent tremors all the way north to New York City and Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts.

President Barack Obama is on vacation in Martha's Vineyard.

The earthquake struck around 1:51 p.m. on Tuesday, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Minutes after the earthquake shook the director of the U.S. Geological Survey Marcia McNutt cautioned that the shaking might not be over.

She watched objects fall from the shelves in her office.

What the concern is, of course, is that this is a foreshock. If it's a foreshock, then the worse is yet to come, McNutt told the Washington Post.

She added that the energy from earthquakes on the East Coast doesn't weaken as quickly as it does on the West Coast. Therefore, even a modest tremor can rattle a broad area, according to the Post article.

When something like this happens, everyone has to remember, more than half of the states in the U.S. are considered earthquake country, McNutt said. When something like this happens, remember what to do in the case of a seismic event. Duck, get under something sturdy like a desk or a doorway, get away from falling glass. Make sure that you are not in the way of falling objects like pictures, bookshelves, books, anything that's not firmly connected the wall.

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the earthquake was 1.6 miles deep. The tremors resulting from the earthquake were felt at the White House. It was reported that parts of the Pentagon, White House and the U.S. Capitol were evacuated. There have been no reports of injuries so far.

Where the earthquake was centered is near Mineral, Va., 39 miles from Richmond, Va., and 85 miles from the nation's capital.

Obama was starting a round of golf when he felt the Earthquake at Martha's Vineyard, the BBC reported.

The tremble also affected travel in the affected region.

ABC News reported that Amtrak said it was running at reduced speed and was checking tracks and terminals for damage.

Additionally, officials at Reagan National Airport in Washington and JFK International Airport in New York temporarily stopped flights. The control towers at Reagan, JFK and Newark International airports were temporarily evacuated.

This type of delay will slow air traffic throughout the region, the Federal Aviation Administration has said.

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