A 6.0 magnitude earthquake centered in Virginia shook much of Washington, D.C., and was felt as far north as New York City.
Flights from the New York area's John F. Kennedy and Newark airports were delayed while authorities inspected control towers and runways following the earthquake that struck the U.S. East Coast, officials said.
"We're going to hope to resume operations. We are talking hours, not longer," a spokesman for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey said.
The quake sent hundreds of people spilling into the street a block from the White House, with other buildings evacuated in North Carolina.
The U.S. Geological Survey said the earthquake was 3.7 miles (6 kilometers) deep. Shaking was felt at the White House and all over the East Coast, as far south as Chapel Hill, North Carolina and as far north as Rhode Island. Parts of the Pentagon, White House and Capitol were evacuated.