Did you Feel the Earthquake? Royal Oak Reacts

In one of those "did that really happen?!" moments shortly before 2 p.m. today, Royal Oak residents and visitors reacted to the shocks felt from an earthquake in the east part of the country. 

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, 5.9-magnitude earthquake, which was centered 27 miles east of Charlottesville, VA. And i.

The USGS said the earthquake struck at a depth of 3.7 miles, accounting for people hundreds of miles away being able to feel its tremors.

Twitter and Facebook blew up with reaction almost immediately as the shaking moved into southeast Michigan.

"Thought I was imagining it!!! OMG!!! yes, I was rocking slightly and didn't know why!," Gini Lyon Earl wrote on Royal Oak Patch's Facebook page.

Lynne Cobb said she was in her home office in Royal Oak when the shaking began. "thought the dog rolled into my chair...just felt like a little nudge. Had I not gone onto FB I wouldn't have even known about the quake.3 minutes ago," she told Royal Oak Patch on Facebook.

Also on Facebook, Barbara Mitchell of Royal Oak, wrote: "pencils rolled off desk, cats got quite vocal and 'low to the ground'.....this is the 2nd one I've felt - the first time was about 15 years ago....."

Most who felt it or felt it the most strongly were in upper floors of buildings.

"just felt the earthquake in #RoyalOak #Michigan !," Jessica Koessler wrote on Twitter.

"We thought it was too much Diet Coke until we read twitter!," Stephanie Givens tweeted to Royal Oak Patch.

Corinna Hall wrote on Facebook: "Our niece lives in new york, & she said i made her desk move!!"

All quiet in downtown Royal Oak

The word on the street in downtown Royal Oak seemed to be one of total surprise that the event even happened.

"What earthquake?" said Yelena Crawford, who was working as a manager at P2 in Royal Oak at the time the earthquake occurred. "I didn't even know about it, and I haven't watched the news."

Sarah MacIsaac was downtown grabbing some ice cream with her son Liam. "I heard about it on the radio," she said. "Did you feel an earthquake? I don't think so," she joked to her toddler son as he sat in a stroller.

Cynthia Haffey was in her car at the time of the earthquake and didn't notice anything. But she said her husband, who works in a tall building in Troy, did feel it. Her co-workers at a building in Detroit also felt it. "I think people felt it more in tall buildings," she said.

Tracy Daniels was working at in Royal Oak at the time and said she and other staff members were unaware of the earthquake until a relative of the manager called about it. "She just called to inform us of it," she said. "We've got a lot of glass here and nothing rattled."

The U.S. Geological Service has a website for people to report what they felt and experienced. The reports help researchers evaluate the quakes effects.

More coverage at Patch

Teacher recounts  scene as tremors strike her classroom near the heart of the quake

Where were you when you felt the earthquake? What did it feel like? Or did you miss out?