A 5.9 earthquake hit the east coast today around 2pm with the epicenter in Mineral, Virginia. My parents live in Martinsburg, West Virginia (55 miles from DC) and felt the quake. Some people are saying that the Washington Monument is leaning.

(08-23-2011 06:05 PM)troy4ever21 Wrote:  ...Some people are saying that the Washington Monument is leaning.

I think that has been refuted, but I did hear a report that there is a crack near the top of the monument.

When I hear about earthquakes not on the west coast, I think about the new madrid fault near the nw corner of Tennessee and wonder how much longer until we have something approaching the quake back in the early 1800s that made the Mississippi run backwards...

(08-24-2011 06:07 AM)SpaceRaider Wrote:  

(08-23-2011 06:05 PM)troy4ever21 Wrote:  ...Some people are saying that the Washington Monument is leaning.

I think that has been refuted, but I did hear a report that there is a crack near the top of the monument.

When I hear about earthquakes not on the west coast, I think about the new madrid fault near the nw corner of Tennessee and wonder how much longer until we have something approaching the quake back in the early 1800s that made the Mississippi run backwards...

Probably overdue, I seem to recall that about every 100 years or so a Fault will shift. Obvisously some, (San Andreas) are more active then others.

Officials are checking the Washington Monument now. They suspect there may be cracks.
http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/08/24/virgini...index.html

I also read in another article that the National Cathedral had significant damage. I hate seeing our precious historical landmarks be damaged like this...