A 5.9 magnitude earthquake centered near the small town of Mineral, Virginia, United States on Tuesday afternoon was felt from Maine to North Carolina.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake was centered just 84 miles from Washington, DC.

Blue square shows the epicenter of the 5.9 magnitude quake, August 23, 2011. [US Geological Survey]

The White House, the Capitol and other buildings in the nation's capital were evacuated shortly after the quake struck at 1:51 pm. Thousands of people poured into the streets of downtown Washington.

Terminal A at Washington Reagan National Airport was evacuated after a gas odor was detected, officials said. Amtrak trains came to a halt, and cell phone service was disrupted as calls overloaded the systems.

In Virginia, the quake forced the shutdown of two nuclear reactors at the North Anna power plant near Mineral operated by Dominion Resources, according to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The plant lost off-site power, but diesel generators are operating, said the NRC spokesman.

The other nuclear power plants on the East Coast were not affected and are operating normally.

The Washington National Cathedral was damaged in the quake. Three spires broke off the central tower and fell to the ground, and the Cathedral is closed for the afternoon.

Damage also occurred at the Ecuador Embassy, according to the D.C. Fire and EMS agency.

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