I live in Lake Monticello which is about 25 miles from the epicenter in Mineral, VA. At 5.8, this was definitely the biggest earthquake I've experienced. The last earthquake of any size that occurred here was a 4.5 in 2003. Oddly, I was in exactly the same spot in my home office during both earthquakes. Beyond some things falling off of shelves, I had no damage. Cell phone service was impacted on both the Verizon and Sprint networks, presumably due to overload.

It's amazing to me that the recent terrible earthquake in Christchurch, NZ was a 6.3 for comparison. I guess the differences in the ground structure made a huge difference in the damage. We were fortunate. If nothing else, maybe it will make everyone prepare better for Hurricane Irene, due in a few days.