Stocks eased from their highs right after a 5.9-magnitude earthquake struck parts of the eastern coast of the U.S.

As of 2:15 pm (EDT), about twenty minutes after the quake hit, the Dow Jones Industrial Average is up 1.50 percent, the S&P 500 has climbed 1.75 percent and Nasdaq is 2.46 percent in the black

Apparently centered in the Virginia-Washington D.C. area, tremors could be felt as far north as Boston.

The Pentagon and U.S. Capitol Building in Washington were evacuated, as were some courthouses in New York City.