(RALEIGH) -- It was one year ago this week that a 5.8 magnitude earthquake struck southeastern Virginia and rippled up and down the east coast, including in North Carolina. Julia Jarema with State Emergency Management said they do have advice if you encounter a earthquake.

"It's real easy.  You basically drop, cover and hold on.  Simply put, that means you drop down to the floor or the ground, try to hold on to a sturdy piece of furniture or a heavy table or something like that, get underneath that and the hold to that so that if the ground starts moving you actually kind of move with that furniture," said Jarema. She added that it is not recommended to stand in a doorway or go outside.

Small earthquakes are not uncommon in North Carolina, in fact several have been reported in Western North Carolina but they are usually at such a magnitude that they do not cause major problems.