A day after a magnitude-5.9 quake was felt in many areas in the United States' East Coast on Tuesday, Filipinos residing there were advised to remain cautious and to monitor developments. The Philippine Consulate in New York said the advice extends to Filipinos in the New York, New Jersey, and Massachusetts areas. "The Philippine Consulate General in New York advises all Filipino nationals under its jurisdiction to observe caution and to continue monitoring developments," the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said in a news release Thursday. "Filipino community members are likewise enjoined to check the websites of the following US government offices and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) which handle disaster management and preparedness for any updates," the DFA added. Among the websites the Consulate urged Filipinos to monitor are:
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA); NYC Office of Emergency Management (OEM), and the American Red Cross. The Consulate also said the public may likewise contact the Embassy's duty number (917) 2940196 for any emergencies or queries related to the earthquake. US quake Reuters reported on Wednesday that there were no immediate reports of major damage or injuries from the magnitude-5.9 quake, which the US Geological Survey said was centered in Mineral, Virginia, at a very shallow depth of 0.6 mile (one kilometer). The Pentagon and the US Capitol evacuated in Washington, and thousands of panicked office workers scurried into the streets of the city after the lunchtime quake, which sent items crashing to the floor from store and office shelves. In New York, the tremors prompted evacuations of courthouses, City Hall and halted work at the World Trade Center construction site. Control towers at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City and Newark Liberty Airport in New Jersey were also evacuated, and flights were delayed while authorities inspected control towers and runways. Traffic lights were knocked out throughout Washington, and units at a nuclear power plant in Virginia went off line by the quake. - With a report from Reuters, VVP, GMA News 
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