Earthquake in Virginia

[Non-RedNeck Westsider]

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/recenteqsww/Maps/10/280_40.php

Magnitude 5.9 - VIRGINIA
2011 August 23 17:51:03 UTC
DetailsMapsTsunami Earthquake Details
This event has been reviewed by a seismologist.
Magnitude 5.9
Date-Time Tuesday, August 23, 2011 at 17:51:03 UTC
Tuesday, August 23, 2011 at 01:51:03 PM at epicenter

Location 37.975°N, 77.969°W
Depth 1 km (~0.6 mile) (poorly constrained)
Region VIRGINIA
Distances 6 km (4 miles) SSE (152°) from Louisa, VA
6 km (4 miles) SW (236°) from Mineral, VA
26 km (16 miles) SE (133°) from Gordonsville, VA
66 km (41 miles) NW (318°) from Richmond, VA
134 km (83 miles) SW (219°) from Washington, DC

Location Uncertainty horizontal +/- 10.9 km (6.8 miles); depth +/- 7.4 km (4.6 miles)
Parameters NST=390, Nph=390, Dmin=57.9 km, Rmss=1.17 sec, Gp= 47°,
M-type=regional moment magnitude (Mw), Version=6
Source Magnitude: USGS NEIC (WDCS-D)
Location: USGS NEIC (WDCS-D)

Event ID usc0005ild

[copperfiend]

We have an office in east Tennessee and it was felt there.

[Ajax]

I've got a cousin in DC.  She said it moved their refrigerator and shook some pictures from the walls.  It was a loooooong 45 seconds...

[Ocklawaha]

Daughter in NYC felt it as well.

OCKLAWAHA

[tufsu1]

I've got a cousin in DC.  She said it moved their refrigerator and shook some pictures from the walls.  It was a loooooong 45 seconds...

and apparently did some damage to the National Cathedral too

[danno]

Co Workers in Toronto felt it as well.

[Wacca Pilatka]

I work about 80 miles from the epicenter.  The thought of an earthquake here had never crossed my mind.  When the shaking started I initially assumed that something heavy was being moved through the building, or that people were running down the hallway (the way our building is constructed, one feels it when a heavy object is moved or someone is moving quickly).  When it continued I wondered whether there might have been an industrial explosion at the Busch brewery or the oil refinery.  About 15 seconds in I realized what was happening and decided that sitting directly below my two enormous pictures of Jacksonville was probably not the best place to be.  Some of my coworkers had pictures and objects fall in their houses, so I hope I don't discover any of my other Jacksonville accoutrements shattered on the ground when I get home.

[BridgeTroll]

http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/Major-Monuments-Closed-in-DC-for-Quake-128275528.html

Cracks Discovered in Washington Monument
Wednesday, Aug 24, 2011  |  Updated 6:11 AM EDT

WASHINGTON, DC - AUGUST 23: U.S. Park Police work to keep people away from the area surrounding the Washington Monument after a 5.8 magnitude earthquake struck the east coast August 23, 2011 in Washington, DC. Police officers said that unidentified material had fallen off the Washington Monument as a result of the earthquake. All the monuments and buildings along the National Mall have been evacuated and closed. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
advertisement Cracking was found in the stones at the top of the Washington Monument Tuesday evening, the National Park Service reported.

The National Park Service temporarily closed the Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, Jefferson Memorial and the Old Post Office Tower as a precaution following Tuesday’s earthquake.

The cracking in the Monument was discovered during a secondary inspection. Structural engineers will evaluate the cracks Wednesday and determine how to repair them before the Monument is reopened.

The grounds have reopened except for an area of about 100 feet outside of the plaza. The Lincoln and Jefferson memorials reopened at about 7:20 p.m.

The monuments and memorials were evacuated following the earthquake. No injuries to any visitors have been reported.

The NPS said it is evaluating the structures to ensure that they are structurally sound and safe for all visitors. Agency spokesman Jeffrey Olson had told the AP that there was "absolutely no damage" to the Washington Monument, contrary to media reports elsewhere that it was leaning.

"Absolutely incorrect," U.S. Park Police Sgt. David Schlosser said of media reports that the Washington Monument was leaning.  "It stands tall and proud."

The NPS said said a preliminary inspection of the Washington Monument and found it to be structurally sound. The NPS will continue to inspect the interior of the Monument before any decisions are made about reopening it to the public.

The Old Post Office Tower will open at 9 a.m. Wednesday.

The Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial, Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial, the World War II Memorial, Vietnam Memorial and the Korean War Memorial remain open.

Tourmobile’s twilight tour for Tuesday night has been canceled.

[BridgeTroll]

http://www.wtop.com/?nid=41&sid=2509741

Stones fall off Washington National Cathedral
Tuesday - 8/23/2011, 4:08pm  ET
Gallery: (5 images)
By MARY CLARE JALONICK
Associated Press Writer


(AP) - A spokesman for Washington National Cathedral says at least three of the four pinnacles on the central tower have fallen off and the central tower appears to be leaning.

The pinnacles are the top stones on the cathedral's towers.

Richard Weinberg, director of communications for the cathedral, said the cathedral has been evacuated and stone masons are assessing the damage.

The Washington National Cathedral is an Episcopal Church landmark in the capital. Located in the northwest quadrant of the city near foreign embassies and the vice president's residence, the gothic-like structure is among the tallest in the city. It's historically been the site of funerals and memorials for presidents and statesmen.

[avonjax]

Driving home from work last night I heard something hilarious on the Michael Savage show. (I only listened by accident because he's one of the most hateful people on radio.)
He said the Southern churches, calling out the Pentecostal church by name, would be preaching that the earthquake was God's punishment for the Tea Bag Party. I laughed so hard I almost wrecked my car. (If any of you know of this being fact please correct me.)
The only preaching of God's anger is toward those left wing commies who have ruined the country.
I have yet to hear a bad word about anything right wing...
Just saying......

[wsansewjs]

Driving home from work last night I heard something hilarious on the Michael Savage show. (I only listened by accident because he's one of the most hateful people on radio.)
He said the Southern churches, calling out the Pentecostal church by name, would be preaching that the earthquake was God's punishment for the Tea Bag Party. I laughed so hard I almost wrecked my car. (If any of you know of this being fact please correct me.)
The only preaching of God's anger is toward those left wing commies who have ruined the country.
I have yet to hear a bad word about anything right wing...
Just saying......

Come on, don't be a troll. You are waiting to strike someone's nerves on this topic. Anyways, I am glad everyone's okay from this unexpected earthquake.

When the earthquake occurred in the Eastern Seaboard, people went like this:


The West Coast reacted like this:


-Josh

[RiversideLoki]