Local organizations collecting donations for Turkey, Syria earthquake victims
Organizations in our region are providing relief to those in need in Turkey and Syria, following Mondayโs devastating 7.5 magnitude earthquake.
![Lynchburg men with family in Haiti hope to help those affected by the earthquake](https://www.wsls.com/resizer/4OpNRVXbEbiBTbYmhWGsAqmIIhY=/800x450/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/d1vhqlrjc8h82r.cloudfront.net/08-18-2021/t_374f300624b24c22bee73ebae23a360a_name_image.jpg)
Lynchburg men with family in Haiti hope to help those affected by the earthquake
Following Saturdayโs 7.2 magnitude earthquake, at least 1,900 people are dead, and tens of thousands of homes were destroyed. The earthquake that shook Haitiโs southern peninsula hits home for 33-year-old Jack Edma. The Lynchburg resident has family in the epicenter.
![Large earthquake off Alaska prompts tsunami fears, fleeing](https://www.wsls.com/resizer/C8WW5fkeV4uJLGGdCnnXnZI2p34=/1600x900/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/JOTKANZTRRFKHOW35YIFSYSAJE.png)
Large earthquake off Alaska prompts tsunami fears, fleeing
Wailing sirens prompted residents to seek higher ground in communities along Alaskaโs southern coast after a reported 7.5 magnitude earthquake that shook buildings triggered a tsunami warning Monday. Patrick Mayer, superintendent of the Aleutians East Borough School District, said parents picked up children from Sand Point School, which also served an evacuation point. It was centered about 67 miles (118 kilometers) southeast of Sand Point, according to the Alaska Earthquake Center. The National Tsunami Warning Center in Palmer, Alaska, said the tsunami warning was in effect for roughly 950 miles (1,529 kilometers), from 40 miles (64 kilometers) southeast of Homer to Unimak Pass, about 80 miles (129 km) northeast of Unalaska. โIt was a pretty good shaker here,โ said David Adams, co-manager of Marine View Bed and Breakfast in Sand Point.
![Whatโs News Today: General Assembly returns, redistricting](https://www.wsls.com/resizer/GTXv3MzkLYRkN0g66GEpSGQVx48=/828x464/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/UJJG4U4ZR5BALEAEZPT356FZNE.png)
Whatโs News Today: General Assembly returns, redistricting
ROANOKE, Va. โ The Virginia General Assembly will convene in special session today. The General Assembly will need finalize the state budget. If the commissionโs plans are not approved by the General Assembly, the State Supreme Court would take over. The Department of Health will open a free COVID-19 testing site today in Buena Vista. If you have a child in Lynchburg City Schools, you can pick up a Chromebook for your child today.
![โEverything started shaking': 5.1 magnitude earthquake near NC/VA border sends shockwaves across the East Coast](https://www.wsls.com/resizer/ej51WTreuROpJvJ_KFDGz-bQzyo=/1600x900/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/d1vhqlrjc8h82r.cloudfront.net/08-10-2020/t_dfff8e9dee384d03bf2bcd13e657d57d_name_image.jpg)
โEverything started shaking': 5.1 magnitude earthquake near NC/VA border sends shockwaves across the East Coast
SPARTA, N.C. โ The United States Geologic Survey (USGS) reports a 5.1 magnitude earthquake struck Sparta, North Carolina at 8:07 a.m. Sunday morning. There was a 5.2 magnitude earthquake reported near Skyland, NC in 1916. It went on for 10 seconds before it stopped.โThe seismograph at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg recorded the earthquakeโs shaking. Sunday morning seismograph showing Sunday's earthquake (Virginia Tech)Once the shaking commenced, residents in Sparta witnessed the remnants of the earthquakeโs force. If youโd like to learn more about earthquakes in Virginia, the Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy has a great resource.
Powerful earthquake shakes southern Mexico, at least 2 dead
MEXICO CITY โ A powerful earthquake centered near the southern Mexico resort of Huatulco killed at least two people, swayed buildings in Mexico City and sent thousands fleeing into the streets. Mexico President Andrรฉs Manuel Lรณpez Obrador said one person was killed and another injured in a building collapse in Huatulco, Oaxaca. Helicopters flew over downtown Mexico City and police patrols sounded their sirens. Inside a Mexico City military barracks converted to COVID-19 hospital, medical staff suited in protective equipment tried to calm anxious patients. __Associated Press writers Chris Torchia in Mexico City and Seth Borenstein in Washington contributed to this report.
![Magnitude 7.7 earthquake strikes off the coast of Jamaica](https://www.wsls.com/resizer/doVBS7M6DWn3JYfE1-CP1bCzCRs=/841x681/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-gmg.s3.amazonaws.com/public/C4RRRKRTXZAX3GEHKNDVWTJKYM.jpeg)
Magnitude 7.7 earthquake strikes off the coast of Jamaica
HAVANA, Cuba โ A powerful magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck in the Caribbean Sea between Jamaica and eastern Cuba on Tuesday, shaking a vast area from Mexico to Florida and beyond, but there were no immediate reports of casualties or heavy damage. The quake was centered 139 kilometers (86 miles) northwest of Montego Bay, Jamaica, and 140 kilometers (87 miles) west-southwest of Niquero, Cuba, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. It hit at 2:10 p.m. (1910 GMT) and the epicenter was a relatively shallow 10 kilometers (6 miles) beneath the surface. The quake also hit the Cayman Islands, leaving cracked roads and what appeared to be sewage spilling from cracked mains. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said the quake could generate waves 1 to 3 feet above normal in Cuba, Jamaica, the Cayman Islands, Honduras, Mexico and Belize.
![At least 18 dead, hundreds hurt as quake hits eastern Turkey](https://www.wsls.com/resizer/YjdWk0sgbRv7SRUzRkYl4eRPB7s=/1200x675/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-gmg.s3.amazonaws.com/public/YPNPGHOW4ZE6BGUZP6MA4UJRYA.jpg)
At least 18 dead, hundreds hurt as quake hits eastern Turkey
TV footage showed rescuers pull out one injured person from the rubble of a collapsed building in the district of Gezin, in the eastern Elazig province. Around 30 were believed to be trapped inside collapsed structures in Elazig province, Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said. A video take at the scene shows residents running after the quake hit and emergency vehicles near a damaged building. Some 30 buildings had collapsed from the quake in the two provinces, according to Murat Kurum, the environment minister. Interior Minister Soylu was at a meeting on earthquake preparedness when the quake struck.
![More harm than good: Compassion is noble, but what does Haiti really need, 10 years after quake?](https://www.wsls.com/resizer/Z0lnG3foFcSYG8mzfP-kzK1Zc8o=/1280x720/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-gmg.s3.amazonaws.com/public/ZONJNJUSK5FNXD7VI5P2TCCIZM.jpg)
More harm than good: Compassion is noble, but what does Haiti really need, 10 years after quake?
โDeep down, I know there was an element of trying to get a pat on the back,โ Albert said. โThatโs when they completely blew me away with their response.โWhat the community leaders essentially told Albert and Zelaya was this: Thanks for your efforts and compassion, but you actually did more harm than good. The experience was such an eye-opener that it led Albert and Zelaya to a greater purpose and mission. โThat goes back to the negative aid that is undermining the natural development of the Haitian people,โ Albert said. The two discovered that nearly 80% of Haitian teachers havenโt been properly trained, and 60% of kids dropped out of classes during elementary school.
![Weak earthquake hits near Virginia/West Virginia line early Wednesday morning](https://www.wsls.com/resizer/dWCS2uQuUMEmZqx_-nDZoPaa1Sk=/813x455/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-gmg.s3.amazonaws.com/public/Y2YYRBFA45AETENQIEHWCKYLLI.png)
Weak earthquake hits near Virginia/West Virginia line early Wednesday morning
WEST VIRGINIA โ A 2.5-magnitude earthquake happened in West Virginia, not far from the state line early Wednesday morning, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The earthquake happened about 9.1 miles deep and follows Tuesdayโs nearby earthquake.
![Weak earthquake hits Southwest Virginia early Tuesday morning](https://www.wsls.com/resizer/nPLaw6MPXMBi1v9zl9zbcqxyseQ=/922x519/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-gmg.s3.amazonaws.com/public/V4RZ5PD7ENB6LFTABSQY25YBW4.png)
Weak earthquake hits Southwest Virginia early Tuesday morning
VIRGINIA โ A 2.5-magnitude earthquake happened in the George Washington National Forest early Tuesday morning, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The earthquake, extremely close to the Virginia-West Virginia state line, happened about 9 miles deep. While weโve heard reports about a large boom heard in the New River Valley, this would not have been the cause as it was too early in the morning.