An earthquake measuring 5.8 struck the US east coast this evening, rattling buildings in downtown Washington and causing evacuations of buildings as far away as New York.

The Pentagon was evacuated after the region's rare temblor, which according to the US Geological Survey had its epicenter near Richmond, Virginia.

The main tower of Washington National Cathedral -- the highest point in the US capital -- "sustained significant damage," a spokesman for the site said.

"The central tower has been damaged -- it sustained significant damage as a result of the earthquake," Richard Weinberg told AFP in the aftermath of one of the strongest temblors to strike the US east coast in decades.

Parts of three of the tower's four pinnacles, its uppermost spires, have fallen off, Weinberg said, adding that the cathedral also suffered "smaller structural damage," notably to flying buttresses and other pinnacles.

"Our stonemasons and engineers are working to assess the damage," he said. "No one's been injured, thankfully."

The hilltop cathedral is perhaps best known as the site of US presidential funerals.

The USGS said the quake's center was 54 kilometers (34 miles) from Richmond, Virginia, and 87 miles (139 kilometers) from Washington.

The quake was felt over a wide area, and prompted the evacuation of a number of towers in New York.