Magnitude 5.8 Earthquake Hits Virginia, Sends Shockwaves Throughout East Coast
Published August 23, 2011 | FoxNews.com
DEVELOPING: An unusually strong magnitude 5.8 earthquake struck Virginia Tuesday afternoon, sending tremors along the East Coast of the United States.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the earthquake was more than three miles deep and struck near Mineral, Va., a city in central Virginia about 83 miles from Washington, D.C. The area is known for its seismic activity, but does not generally produce large earthquakes.

Most of downtown D.C. has since been evacuated, including the U.S. Capitol, the Pentagon and other buildings.

Pictures in the Capitol building reportedly fell from the wall and workers panicked and ran to the exits, apparently fearing a 9/11-style attack. Workers were told not to re-enter the buildings.

There have been no reports of serious structural damage or injuries.

Marine helicopters were seen hovering above the D.C, and there were reports that the Washington Monument may be tilting.

Buildings in New York City shook briefly and the FBI building was evacuated. Flights resumed at John F. Kennedy International Airport and Newark Airport, where control towers were perviously evacuated. Evacuations were felt as north as Canada.

The press corp with President Obama in Martha's Vineyard said they felt slight shaking. Attorney General Eric Holder has been evacuated from the Department of Justice.

Federal officials say two nuclear reactors were taken offline near quake site in Virginia; there was no damage reported. Indian Point, a power plant in New York, said on Twitter that there are no issues at the facility.
The East Coast gets earthquakes, but usually smaller ones and is less prepared than California or Alaska for shaking.

At Reagan National Airport outside Washington, ceiling tiles fell during a few seconds of shaking. Authorities announced it was an earthquake and all flights were put on hold.

The largest earthquake from the area in the past few years have been in the magnitude 4 range.

U.S. weather service says no tsunami expected after East Coast. Subways in New York have not been affected, but the Metro in D.C. has been cancelled.

Phone companies said they are being overwhelmed with phone calls, but said none of their infrastructure have been damaged.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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The mother of Detroit Tigers ace Justin Verlander assumed the usual when she felt what started as "little rumblings" in her home this afternoon in Maidens, Va.

"Washing machine's out of alignment," she thought.

Then Kathy Verlander realized she wasn't doing any laundry.

As the shaking intensified, she said the family's three dogs "went berserk" before "a couple of things flew off the cabinet."

"I thought, 'It's either an earthquake or the car just blew up,'" she said.

The epicenter of the powerful 5.9-magnitude earthquake that rocked the Mid-Atlantic region shortly before 2 p.m. was reported about four miles southwest of Mineral, Va., near Justin Verlander's hometown.

"The epicenter is less than 10 miles from us, as the crow flies," Kathy Verlander told the Free Press by phone. "Justin just called. I asked, 'Did you feel it in Florida?' He said, 'No. I'm calling to make sure you're OK.'"

Verlander, who won his 19th game of the season Monday night, is with the Tigers in St. Petersburg, where they face the Tampa Bay Rays tonight. He tweeted this afternoon: "Thoughts and prayers are with everyone back home and DC."

Kathy Verlander, who was home alone with their dogs, said she immediately thought of her son, Ben -- a pitcher at Old Dominion -- who was spending the day at Busch Gardens in Williamsburg, Va. Reached on his cell phone, Ben told her that he was on a roller coaster when the ride suddenly got "really jerky." He said he was fine.

Kathy Verlander laughed when she revealed how she rode out her own "ride," which lasted between 45 seconds and one minute.

"I took the dogs and went into the pantry," she said.

Tweets from other local athletes

• Pistons guard Richard Hamilton: "Wowww just got hit my a earthquake in Maryland. That S was crazy."

• Former Michigan guard Manny Harris: "i thought i was the only one who felt this earthquake in jersey!! but my TL shows me everybody did, so i aint trippin!!"

• Pistons rookie Vernon Macklin: "All my 757 fam good out there? heard about the earthquake."

• U-M defensive tackle Mike Martin: "The Earth is dancing in #AnnArbor & #Detroit?"

• Former U-M linebacker Cato June: "#DMV THAT EARTHQUAKE WAS OFF THE CHAIN!! The entire building was shaking at Anacostia Senior High School!"

• Lions rookie Doug Hogue: "Earthquake in NY smh"

• Former MSU linebacker Eric Gordon: "So everyone felt this earthquake except me."

Washington Monument cracks in quake
By JENNIFER EPSTEIN | 8/24/11 6:04 AM EDT Updated: 8/24/11 11:43 AM EDT

The earthquake didn’t cause widespread damages or injuries, but it did put a crack in the Washington Monument.

After unconfirmed reports suggested the monument was tilting, park officials said Tuesday night that the 550-foot obelisk suffered a crack in the 5.8-magnitude rumble centered in Mineral, Va., near Charlottesville.

Inspections conducted by helicopter found a crack “at the very, very top” of the monument, park service spokesman Bill Line told The Washington Post, and the monument and plaza surrounding the structure will be closed indefinitely as it is examined.

Though it suffered damage, the monument isn’t leaning, the Park Service said.

The Park Service has also temporarily closed the Lincoln Memorial and the Jefferson Memorial pending further inspection, while other landmarks — including the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial set to be officially unveiled this weekend — remain open.

Damages to the National Building Museum in downtown D.C. have forced organizers to move a Wednesday night gala for the King memorial to the Washington Convention Center, the Associated Press reported.

And ordinary life in Washington isn’t quite back to normal.

The Office of Personnel Management announced early Wednesday that while federal executive branch offices in the area are open, workers are being permitted to take unscheduled leave or choose to work from home for the day.

District of Columbia Public Schools, which opened for students on Monday, are closed for students and staff on Wednesday, the District said. Several districts in Maryland and Virginia are also closed for nonemergency personnel.



Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/08 ... z1Vy4yneIq

And Obama kept golfing during the entire thing.

As if I need any more reasons to bash Obama, he keeps delivering and giving me more material to work with.

Wags, I certainly hope that you're not holding your breath waiting for me to stop attacking him because you'll turn blue and die before that ever happens. Just looking out for ya, buddy.