Small earthquake shakes northern Virginia

BELMONT, Va. (AP) - The U.S. Geological Survey says there was a small earthquake in a Virginia suburb of Washington, D.C.

The agency's website shows that a magnitude 1.7 earthquake occurred around 11:23 p.m. Thursday in Loudoun County. It happened about 2.5 miles (4 kilometers) northeast of Belmont, at a depth of more than 3 miles (5 kilometers).

Loudoun County Sheriff's Office spokesman Kraig Troxell says dispatchers received about 10 calls before midnight from people reporting feeling their homes shaking. He says some reported seeing a flash and hearing a loud boom. He says there were no reports of damage.

Dominion Energy Virginia spokesman Chuck Penn says there were no reports of any problems in that area.