5.9 Earthquake Shakes East Coast | Update: 4.5 Aftershock Early Thursday Morning | Updates | Videos | Photos

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-washington-monument-2011082...

Los Angeles Times...

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More cracks found in Washington Monument after quake

The structure will remain closed indefinitely for repairs, the National Park Service says.

PHOTO: The west-facing side of the Washington Monument a day after an East Coast earthquake damaged it. (Molly Riley / Reuters)

By Richard Simon, Los Angeles Times

August 24, 2011, 10:41 p.m.

Reporting from Washington—

A closer inspection of the earthquake-damaged Washington Monument found about half a dozen more cracks, and the structure will be fenced off while engineers decide how to repair it, the National Park Service said Wednesday night.

The Lincoln and Jefferson memorials reopened one day after the East Coast's rare 5.8 temblor, but the Washington Monument will remain closed indefinitely.

Finished in 1884, the monument is one of the capital's most popular tourist attractions, with about 1,700 visitors going inside each day. It is the world's tallest obelisk, standing more than 555 feet high.

"The Washington Monument is one of America's most important landmarks, and we will do whatever it takes to ensure that it is restored completely and correctly," said Robert A. Vogel, superintendent of the National Mall and Memorial Parks.

"We will take whatever time is necessary to get it right," added park service spokesman Bill Line. "Public safety is paramount."

A day earlier, a U.S. Park Police helicopter crew spotted a crack 4 feet long and up to an inch wide in one of the stones near the top of the structure. The other cracks were discovered Wednesday during an inspection from the inside, a park service spokesman said.

The National Cathedral in Washington has also been closed because of earthquake damage. Three of its four pinnacles cracked and fell onto the roof.

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http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/08/24/national/main20096620.shtml

CBS...

VIDEO

August 24, 2011 12:09 PM

"Low" number of Va. earthquake aftershocks felt

(CBS/AP)

RICHMOND, Va. - The 5.8-magnitude earthquake Tuesday that shook people from Georgia to Canada has produced at least four aftershocks and more are likely to occur.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the aftershocks around the central Virginia epicenter ranged in magnitude from 4.2 to as little as 2.2 since the strongest earthquake to strike the East Coast since World War II.

There's a chance there were even more aftershocks, but the USGS hasn't received more detailed data from a network it relies on for larger number of local seismographs that record ground movements caused by earthquakes.

"For the size earthquake that occurred, I think the number of aftershocks so far has been remarkably low," said Amy Vaughan, a geophysicist with the USGS Earthquake Information Center in Colorado. "I don't know if that's an indication of things to come or not. ... There's likely there will be some more, but I don't know for how long and how large."

Aftershocks could be expected "for days, if not weeks," Vaughan said. "A size like this probably wouldn't go into months, but it very well could."

Experts have earlier said that aftershocks were likely in the coming days. Seismologist Jim Gaherty, Lamont research professor at Columbia University, told CBS News: "Generally the aftershocks will be smaller than the main shock and they'll over time become less frequent and they'll become ... smaller and smaller, so every day the risk of a large aftershock goes down."

Typically, the larger the quake, the longer and the greater extent of aftershocks. Shallow earthquakes like the one in Virginia also tend to generate numerous aftershocks, said Don Blakeman, another geophysicist at the Earthquake Information Center. But it's rare to have an aftershock of comparable size to the initial event.

It's also possible that people closest to the epicenter could feel much smaller aftershocks that the agency wouldn't necessarily be able to confirm immediately, aftershocks that don't register at all, or ones that people just think are happening, Blakeman said.

"When these things occur, we have a certain number of people who are going to be a little jumpy and they start feeling things," he said.

In the epicenter of the earthquake in Mineral, Va., CBS News reported an aftershock Tuesday night in the parking lot of supermarket Miller's Market while working on a story. As of Wednesday morning, kids from the area will not report to class until after Labor Day because of damage to school buildings

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/blogpost/post/earthquake-aftershock-felt-in-...

The Washington Post...

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Posted at 03:47 PM ET, 08/23/2011

Earthquake aftershock felt in Virginia, more aftershocks likely to come

By Elizabeth Flock

PHOTO: People crowd Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, Tuesday, as they evacuate buildings after an earthquake his the in Washington area. (Charles Dharapak - AP)

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The U.S. Geological Survey has confirmed that an earthquake struck central Virginia just before 2 p.m. EST Tuesday near Mineral, Va., 87 miles southwest of Washington D.C.

The quake measured a 5.8 on the Richter scale. And the tremors may not be over.

Just 45 minutes after the initial quake, a 2.8 magnitude aftershock was reported five miles south-southwest of Mineral, according to USGS. At 3:20 p.m., a second aftershock occurred 8 miles south of Louisa, Va., with a magnitude of 2.2.

Mike Blanpied, USGS associate coordinator for the earthquake hazards program, says there could be more aftershocks any magnitude up to 5. “Aftershocks could go on for days, weeks, or even months. They’re most likely to be felt under the next three or four days,” Blanpied said.

The quake was felt from New York City to Charlotte, N.C., and as far west as Cleveland, according to reports on the USGS Web site.

While Californians are ridiculing the East Coast for their overreaction to a 5.8 quake, Dr. Graham Kent, Director of the Nevada Seismological Laboratory, said, “it's a lot bigger deal than a 5.9 would be in California or Nevada. You might see damage further away from the epicenter than you might expect.”

Blanpied explains why: “The rocks are old and cold and they carry the seismic energy very far. Even a magnitude 6 or less earthquake can be felt over a considerably large area, unlike California where the shaking is more concentrated.”

Earthquakes are relatively rare events on the East Coast.

An aftershock is a smaller earthquake that occurs after a previous earthquake, in the same area. Aftershocks form when the crust around the displaced fault plane adjust to the effects of the initial shock.

By definition, aftershocks cannot be larger than an earthquake. If this earthquake were to be followed by a more powerful tremor, then the initial quake would be redefined as a foreshock.

Slate explains that there are two principles that describe the typical behavior of aftershocks. “The first, called Omori's Law, predicts that most shocks will occur immediately following the earthquake and become less and less frequent over time.”

The two aftershocks this afternoon are indicators of Omori’s Law.

The other law, known as Båth's Law, states that “the largest aftershock is, on average, about 1.2 magnitudes smaller than the main quake,” Slate writes. Because the Richter scale is logarithmic, an eartuquake measuring 6.0 is 10 times larger than a quake measuring 5.0.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/nationnow/2011/08/washington-monument-closed-ind...

Los Angeles Times...

Earthquake-damaged Washington Monument closes indefinitely

August 24, 2011 | 9:51 am

Washington_Monument_closed_indefinitely600

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Visitors to one of the capital's most iconic monuments -- the Washington Monument -- are out of luck: The 5.8-magnitude earthquake that was centered in Virginia on Tuesday and rocked the East Coast from the Carolinas on up to Boston and beyond also caused lasting damage to the world's tallest obelisk.

The National Park Service reported finding cracks in the stones atop the structure, which is also the world's tallest stone monument. Standing at just over 555 feet, it's considered a must-see for visitors to the nation's capital as well as an immediately recognizable landmark that is visible far and wide. On a normal day, a lucky few ticketholders could take the 70-second ride to an observation deck, which is located at 500 feet.

Photos: Earthquake hits the East Coast

Now, however, visitors will have to make do with a distant look. The monument itself will remain closed indefinitely, although "the Washington Monument grounds have been reopened, except for an area about 100 feet outside of the plaza," according to a National Park Service statement posted on its website.

The extent of damage and how to repair it remain in question. "The NPS will have structural engineers evaluate the cracks on Wednesday to determine the best way to repair the Monument before it is reopened," the park service said.

The earthquake caused the temporary closure of several other memorials and monuments pending a check for damage and to ensure visitor safety. Among those that were closed and have since reopened to the public: the Lincoln Memorial, Jefferson Memorial and the Old Post Office Tower.

The quake also damaged the National Cathedral, although it remains structurally sound. Several spires and decorative elements on the architecturally significant edifice were either damaged or snapped off. Authorities are examining the building to determine how repairs should proceed.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/nationnow/2011/08/earthquake-national-zoo-animal...

Los Angeles Times...

At National Zoo, animals seemed restless prior to quake

August 24, 2011 | 12:46 pm

Photo: Mei Xiang

If the residents of Washington, D.C. didn't see yesterday’s earthquake coming, perhaps the residents of the National Zoo did.

Red ruffed lemurs sounded an alarm, apes abandoned their food, flamingos rushed into a huddle, and a gorilla let out a shriek before the magnitude 5.8-quake hit. That's according to a news release from the National Zoo, which compiled a list of "changes in animal behavior" that were observed by zoo staff.

The list describes a noisy, frantic scene at portions of the 163-acre zoological park. Just before the ground started to shake, Iris, an orangutan, "began 'belch vocalizing' -– an unhappy/upset noise normally reserved for extreme irritation." Many of the apes, "abandoned their food and climbed to the top of a tree-like structure." And Mandara, a gorilla, "let out a shriek and collected her baby."

Meanwhile, a flock of 64 flamingos "rushed about and grouped themselves together." Once the quake began, snakes were "writhing," ducks interrupted their feeding to jump into a pool, and beavers, "stood on their hind legs and looked around, then got into the water, too."

The zoo is home to about 2,000 animals, including two giant pandas.

The pandas, Mei Xiang and Tian Tian, "did not appear to respond to the earthquake," the statement said.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/nationnow/2011/08/aftershocks-continue-to-shake-...

Los Angeles Times...

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Aftershocks continue to shake Virginia
August 24, 2011 | 11:15 pm

As if the East Coast's magnitude 5.8 earthquake wasn't distressing enough, Virginia's got a whole lotta shaking going on.

A 4.5 aftershock struck near Richmond early Thursday, the U.S. Geological Survey said on its website. The temblor, which hit at 1:07 a.m. Eastern time, was centered in the same area as Tuesday's earthquake. The epicenter was about 36 miles northwest of Richmond and about 80 miles southwest of Washington.

And that's not the only aftershock: The Geological Survey lists four others since Tuesday's 1:51 p.m. quake: 3.4, 4.2, 2.8 and 2.2.

But in the greater scheme of things, that's a remarkably low number of aftershocks, geophysicist Amy Vaughan of the National Earthquake Information Center in Colorado told the Associated Press.

Thursday’s earthquake was at a depth of 3 miles below ground — about the same as Tuesday’s quake.

A Geological Survey map of the shake zone estimated that the perceived shaking at the epicenter was moderate, with potential damage very light. http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/shakemap/global/shake/c0005jg1/ In contrast, Tuesday’s quake was classified as having very strong shaking.

-- Connie Stewart and Rong-Gong Lin II

Accroding to the USGS, "The earthquake was centered roughly one kilometer deep and, unlike earthquakes on the West Coast, such eastern seaboard quakes tend to travel far, as much as 500 kilometers. That was certainly the case here, with reports of light shaking as far away as Cincinnati and Cleveland."
Notice the shallow depth. The quake in Colorado was centered in Trinidad near the southeastern corner of the state and a depth of 2.5 miles. Has anyone given any thought that fracking may be having an impact on our geologic stability? The fracking map of the US shows drilling occurring near both of these epicenters.

http://earthjustice.org/features/campaigns/fracking-across-the-united-states

http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/08/23/quake.landmarks.developments/index.html?hpt=hp_...

CNN...

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How the quake affected U.S. landmarks
By the CNN Wire Staff
August 24, 2011 2:22 a.m. EDT

The National Cathedral is taped off after suffering damage Tuesday.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

NEW: The National Cathedral will be closed to the public Wednesday
NEW: Church reports that the structural integrity of the building was not affected
Old Post Office Tower to be reopened Wednesday morning
The Washington Monument is closed while inspectors look for any damage

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Washington (CNN) -- The earthquake that struck the eastern United States on Tuesday affected some major sites and landmarks. Here is a look at the latest developments:

-- The U.S. Capitol was cleared for employees to come back to get their belongings, but inspectors asked people to limit their time inside the building while engineers continue to work around the complex.

-- A secondary inspection of the Washington Monument revealed some cracking in the stones at the top of the monument, the National Park Service said. Structural engineers will evaluate the cracks on Wednesday to determine the best way to repair the 126-year-old obelisk before it is reopened. The monument grounds have been reopened except for an area about 100 feet outside of the plaza.

-- The National Park Service said it reopened the Lincoln Memorial and Jefferson Memorial at 7:20 p.m. The Old Post Office Tower will reopen at 9 a.m. Wednesday.

-- The National Cathedral will be closed to the public Wednesday after three of the four corner spires on its central tower cracked and fell onto the roof. "Engineers report that the building itself did not incur any damage to its structural integrity," the church said in a news release Tuesday.

-- The Smithsonian Institution Building in Washington has cracks in the interior walls because of the earthquake, but there's no indication of structural damage at this point, Smithsonian Secretary Wayne Clough said. The building will still need to be evaluated, he said.

-- All Smithsonian museums shut down for the day, the institution said.

-- The White House and adjacent buildings evacuated as a precaution following the earthquake were given the all-clear, the U.S. Secret Service said. The FBI and Justice Department have also reopened evacuated buildings.

-- Some personnel were evacuated from the Department of Homeland Security facility in northwest Washington, but the national operations center remained functional, a homeland security official said.

-- Terminal A at Washington Reagan National Airport was evacuated because of an odor of gas, airport spokeswoman Courtney Mickalonis said. Initial sweeps of the building showed no major damage from the earthquake.

-- At the new Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial, which has a dedication scheduled for Sunday, "all is good," an organizer said. "We're performing the required safety checks and procedures, and Park Service has been on site with us monitoring (the) situation."

Along with the King Memorial, the Franklin Delano Roosevelt, World War II, Vietnam Veterans and Korean War memorials all remain open.

-- In New York City, there were "no reports of significant damage," said Mayor Michael Bloomberg. "Shortly before 2 p.m., we evacuated City Hall briefly, but quickly returned to work," he said in a statement.

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http://www.thirdage.com/news/earthquake-strongest-in-decades-hits-colorado_08-23...

Earthquake, Strongest in Decades, Hits Colorado

The Colorado State capitol dome, gilded in real Colorado gold, stands in the shadows of the Rocky Mountains Mount Evans ... Read Morein Denver on April 30, 2011. UPI/Gary C. Caskey An earthquake with a 5.3 magnitude, struck Colorado late Monday in an area of the U.S. where quakes are relatively rare, the U.S. Geological Survey said on Tuesday.

The quake, the largest in the state in around 40 years, struck near midnight Monday night 180 miles south of Denver and 20 miles northwest of Raton, New Mexico, at a depth of 2.5 miles.

Local media reported minor damage to some homes, but no injuries or deaths.

"It's a seismically active area so it's not unheard of that you would have an earthquake in this area," USGS National Earthquake Information Center geophysicist Julie Dutton told Reuters Tuesday morning from Golden, Colorado. "But to have a 5.3 anywhere in Colorado, let alone in this area, is rare."

Outside of an event linked to an underground nuclear test in 1973, the last Colorado quake to measure at least 5.3 magnitude caused serious damage in the Denver area 44 years ago in August 1967, according to USGS officials.

Monday's quake was a rare occurrence in the region of the United States east of the Rocky Mountains referred to as the "Stable Continental Region."

"Most of the enormous region from the Rockies to the Atlantic can go years without an earthquake large enough to be felt," the USGS wrote in its summary of Monday's seismic activity, "and several U.S. states have never reported a damaging earthquake."
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Sandy, do you really think that this the appropriate time for sarcasm and arrogance, besides Colorado isn't too far from home for you.

Try showing some concern for others that are concerned...just for now at least. Are payed writers allowed to do that ?

http://ts1.mm.bing.net/images/thumbnail.aspx?q=1168945971332&id=2a4cbe4d2337...

Damn city slickers! As anyone who has lived in California would tell you this was nothing unless you're within a few miles of the epicenter. I'm in New England today. I felt a slight shake in the desk as I was working. It didn't even dawn on me it was an earthquake. I once rolled over and went back to sleep during a 6.2 centered about twenty miles away. My kids were several hundred miles closer to the epicenter today. They were born in southern CA. They laughed at the way people reacted. My daughter enjoyed getting the afternoon off from work.

http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/08/23/us.quake.color/index.html?hpt=hp_t1

CNN...

Earthquake jolts millions on East Coast: 'This felt big'
By the CNN Wire Staff
August 23, 2011 4:38 p.m. EDT

An earthquake caused workers to evacuate their buildings in New York City on Tuesday.
An earthquake caused workers to evacuate their buildings in New York City on Tuesday.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

NEW: The quake, near Washington, sends tremors as far away as North Carolina
NEW: "At first we thought it was a huge truck that went past," a witness says
"I know shaking and this felt big," says former Californian now in Virginia
People line the streets in Washington, where many building are evacuated

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(CNN) -- A moderate 5.8-magnitude earthquake rattled millions of people along the U.S. East Coast Tuesday, startling residents and sending confused crowds into the streets.

The quake, which struck at 1:51 p.m., was shallow -- just 3.7 miles deep -- and was located some 88 miles southwest of Washington, the U.S. Geological Survey said. It sent tremors throughout the Northeast. Some were felt as far away as North Carolina.

Gabby Randle, 23, was in a meeting in an office building at New York Avenue and 15th Street in Washington when the temblor struck.

"We could see a couple of things falling off of the building next to us," she said. "We sort of ran because the ceiling tiles were swaying."

Many buildings were evacuated in the U.S. capital, where huge crowds lined the streets as police cars sped by with sirens sounding.

Tish Walker, in Spotsylvania, Virginia, said she was spooked and ran out of her home.

"I used to live in California, so I know shaking and this felt big," she said. "I grabbed my dog and raced outside; my first thought is always that the furnace might explode or a cabinet crashes down on top of us."

Mario Depeine Sr. and his wife, in Dunellen, New Jersey, also went outside as a precaution when their house started to shake. "At first we thought it was a huge truck that went past," he said.

Pete Krech, who works at a business in Fredericksburg, Virginia, likened the sensation to being on a jolting amusement ride.

Minute by minute: How the quake unfolded

"I was receiving a supply truck," said Krech, store manager at Mattress Warehouse of Fredericksburg, south of Washington. "I felt a vibration under my feet."

Brendan Wein, a sales representative at Hoffman Nursery in Roxboro, North Carolina, said he first sensed rattling inside the building.

"We were thinking it was a helicopter overhead," Wein said. "I was literally shaking in my chair."

Share your story with CNN iReport

Meanwhile, CNN iReporter Jeff Yapalater said he was in his backyard in New York's Long Island when the earthquake hit.

"Suddenly I felt this light swaying of the earth, I'd never felt that before, so I thought maybe I was experiencing vertigo for a moment, and it lasted maybe 30 seconds. ... We're feeling this really far away!" he wrote.

CNN's Philip Gast, Catherine Shoichet, Brian Walker and Dana Ford contributed to this report.

Watch out for any crumbling infrastructure.

Reading Eagle, Reading, PA

Buildings shook in Berks County Tuesday due to tremors from a powerful earthquake that rocked central Virginia at about 1:50 p.m., prompting Reading police to shut down the Penn Street Bridge after spotting a large crack.

http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=327304

I was in the parking lot at Staten Island University Hospital North, when I noticed the car shaking. I thought it was a strong gust of wind at first. I looked around, and there was no movement in the trees. Then I thought someone was busting my chops by shaking my car from behind. I got out and noticed the car next to me shaking too. Then the hospital started emptying out. The next thing the cell phones came out, and it was over in two minutes. This was my first earthquake, (that I noticed). Everyone’s fine, it was no big deal, except for the semi-hysterical reaction by people who aren’t used to this stuff. http://sibob.org/wordpress/

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/08/23/scitech/main20096181.shtml

CBS News...

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August 23, 2011 3:24 PM

Why are East Coast earthquakes so widely felt?

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People who came out on the street after an earthquake look up at a window that cracked during the quake on Market Street in Philadelphia, Tuesday, Aug. 23, 2011. A 5.9 magnitude earthquake centered northwest of Richmond, Va., shook much of Washington, D.C., and was felt as far north as Rhode Island, New York City and Martha's Vineyard, Mass., where President Barack Obama is vacationing.

A moderate, 5.9-magnitude earthquake struck near Richmond, Va. Tuesday, causing major federal buildings in the Washington, DC area to be evacuated.

There were no immediate reports of injuries or significant damage, yet the quake was felt over hundreds of miles, with reports of shaking coming in from Boston and Martha's Vineyard (where the president is vacationing) in Massachusetts, Rhode Island and New York City to the north and south into the Carolinas. One Twitter user reported shaking north of Toronto.

For those of us whose knowledge of earthquakes is based on reports from seismically-active regions like California and recently-devastated Japan, it seems like a paradox. In those regions, a quake felt so far from its epicenter would likely have been catastrophic -- a 7- or 8-magnitude that caused massive damage and loss of life.

There is a geological explanation. The Earth's crust beneath the Easter U.S. is older and harder than out West. It has fewer fault lines and far less seismically active -- but when earthquakes do hit, that hard ground is far more effective and conducting the seismic waves.

As blogger Kevin Mayeda at OpenHazards.com explains, a magnitude-5 in San Jose, Calif. "would be moderately felt in San Francisco," 45 miles away, with little physical damage. "In contrast, a magnitude 5 in the east coast could be felt for several hundred miles."

"In addition to efficient wave propagation, the earthquakes in the east coast tend to radiate much more energy at higher frequencies than those in the west coast (we call this "stress-drop" in earthquake parlance). What this means for those in the east coast is that smaller structures (i.e., homes and small buildings) could experience about a factor of 5 more shaking," Mayeda writes.

New Jersey's geological survey reports that Eastern earthquakes affect areas 10 times larger than Western ones of the same magnitude, although some geologists estimate that figure may be as great as 100-times.

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PHOTO:
People who came out on the street after an earthquake look up at a window that cracked during the quake on Market Street in Philadelphia, Tuesday, Aug. 23, 2011. A 5.9 magnitude earthquake centered northwest of Richmond, Va., shook much of Washington, D.C., and was felt as far north as Rhode Island, New York City and Martha's Vineyard, Mass., where President Barack Obama is vacationing. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
(CBS News)

http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/earthquake-measured-59-magnitude-rattles-washin...

ABC News...

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By JESSICA HOPPER
Aug. 23, 2011

A 5.9 magnitude earthquake jolted the East Coast, rattling people from Martha's Vineyard to Washington, D.C. to North Carolina, prompting the evacuation of Congressional buildings and the taking of two nuclear reactors offline.

The earthquake sent people pouring out of office buildings, hospitals, the Pentagon and the State Department. The pillars of the capital in Washington, D.C. shook. Alarms sounded in the FBI and Department of Justice buildings, and some flooding was reported on an upper floor of the Pentagon as a result of the quake. Parks and sidewalks in Washington were packed with people who fled their buildings.

The quake was felt as far north as New Hampshire and in Martha's Vineyard where President Obama and his family are vacationing.

For Special Coverage of the East Coast Earthquake, Including Your Chance to Share Your Photos, Stories and Videos, Click Here

No significant damage or fatalities have been reported. In New York City, the fire department said that they are receiving a surge in calls but have had no serious building damage reported.

Authorities in New York and Washington said cell phone traffic was so heavy that it hampered their ability to respond to emergencies.

The epicenter of the quake was near Mineral, Va., 39 miles from Richmond, Va., and 85 miles from the nation's capital. The quake was .6 miles deep. The epicenter is very close to two Dominion Power nuclear power plants, North Anna 1 and 2.

Rare 5.9 East Coast Earthquake

Elizabeth Stuckle, spokesperson for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, said that the reactors were "automatically and safely shut down." The plant declared an "unusual event" which is the lowest category of four emergency classifications. Back-up generators automatically kicked in to keep the reactors cool, the NRC said.

Nine other nuclear plants on the East coast declared an "unusual event," but were none shut down.

The East Coast gets earthquakes from time to time, but rarely of a magnitude to make skyscrapers sway.

The tremblor affected travel in the region.

Amtrak said it was running at reduced speed and was checking tracks and terminals for damage.

Officials at Reagan National Airport in Washington and JFK International Airport in New York temporarily halted flights and the control towers at Reagan, JFK and Newark International airports was temporarily evacuated. The delay will cause slow air traffic throughout the region, the Federal Aviation Administration warned.

A woman who works at Mineral Barber Shop in Mineral, Va. said that the inside of her shop is a mess but there doesn't appear to be any major damage outside the town square.

People in the New York Times building on 42nd street in Manhattan said they felt the entire building shift, and watched office furniture move. As the tall buildings in New York swayed, people ran out into the street.

The New York City Criminal Court in lower Manhattan was also evacuated.

In Baltimore, Maryland, artist Lisa Lewenz was working in her basement studio when she began to feel movement under her feet.

"Everything started trembling, with a big boom sound coming up from the ground. I've lived in LA long enough to know this drill, so rushed upstairs, and found the glassware still shuttering for about a minute. Couldn't get through by the phone to friends, and there was no news online, so I started worrying my house was collapsing," Lewenz said.

A man eating lunch in Charlottesville, Va., described his house tipping and plates shaking as he ate lunch.

In Washington, D.C., a woman serving jury duty said saw dust fall from surrounding buildings.

Some saw the lighter side in the unexpected quake.

Michelle Mittelstadt said, "My first earthquake! What's next: Plague of locusts?"

Another woman who works with the Federal Aviation Administration said that the, "If you have to be evacuated for an earthquake, the National Mall is a nice spilling out point!"

The earthquake felt along the eastern corridor follows an earthquake felt Monday in Colorado. That 5.3 magnitude earthquake struck near Trinidad, Colorado.

The United States' Geological Survey said that earthquakes have been felt in the central Virginia area since 1774.

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ABC News' Jane Allen contributed to this report.

PHOTO: Office workers gather on the sidewalk in downtown Washington, D.C., Aug. 23, 2011, moments after a 5.9 magnitude tremor shook the nation's capitol.
J. Scott Applewhite/AP Photo

http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/23/east-coast-earthquake-brings-down-cell-phone-...

Engadget...

East Coast earthquake brings down cell phone, landline service (update: restored)

By Zach Honig
posted Aug 23rd 2011 2:15PM

Breaking News

You've probably already read about the 5.9 magnitude earthquake that affected the Eastern Seaboard of the United States, and now we're hearing reports that the quake brought down some landline and cell phone service in New York, along with other cities on the East Coast. We've been unable to place calls in New York City using AT&T and Sprint smartphones, as well as office landlines. Are you experiencing issues as well? Let us know in the comments.

Update: Service seems to have been restored in New York City.

Update 2: Verizon Wireless has released the following statement on Twitter: "Seeing no reports of damage to our wireless network. There was some network congestion in the East after tremors. Continuing to monitor."

Update 3: T-Mobile was feeling left out and sent us an email: "T-Mobile's network is experiencing higher call volumes in all areas and counties affected by the earthquake. If customers are experiencing temporary difficultly placing calls due to network congestion, we advise them to use SMS or E-Mail until call volumes return to normal."

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