A 5.9 magnitude earthquake emanating from Virginia caused more anxiety than physical damage in New York City, where employees at City Hall returned to work after a brief evacuation.

A slight tremor rumbled through the city just before two p.m. EST, startling New Yorkers, for whom earthquakes are low on the list of daily concerns. Mayor Michael Bloomberg said in a statement that there had been no serious repercussions and confirmed that City Hall was briefly evacuated as officials worked to verify that the danger had passed.

I've spoken with our Police and Fire Commissioners, and we've activated the Office of Emergency Management's Situation Room and spoken to other city agencies, including the Department of Buildings, Bloomberg said in a statement. Thankfully, there are no reports of significant damage or injuries in New York City at this time.

The Metropolitan Transit Authority, which oversees transportation in the greater New York Metropolitan area, said in a tweet that the quake would not affect service on public transportation.

There are no earthquake-related disruptions to subway, bus, Metro-North, [Long Island Railroad], or our bridges and tunnels, the tweet said.

Bloomberg will be giving a press conference on the earthquake at four p.m. EST. Check back with the International Business Times for full coverage and updates.

New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg
Bloomberg at press conference REUTERS/Chip East
Earthquake New York Michael bloomberg Earthquake