Thursday, August 23, 2012
A 5.8 magnitude earthquake centered in Mineral, VA struck the DC region one year ago on Aug. 23.
Local and federal emergency management officials and geological experts offered advice and updates a year after a 5.8 magnitude earthquake caused extensive damage to buildings close to the epicenter in Mineral, VA as well as national landmarks like the Washington Monument and Washington National Cathedral. Though a 5.8 magnitude quake is small, compared to the incidents that shook Japan in 2011 and Haiti in 2010, "It doesn't take a big earthquake to cause big problems in the Eastern U.S.," said Bob Vogel, the superintendant for the National Mall and Memorials for the National Park Service. The message offered by all was that the region must plan and be prepared for future emergencies and increase awareness of what to do in the case of an …
Repairs continue after Aug. 23, 2011 event -- Where were you when it happened?
As residents reflect a year after a 5.8 magnitude earthquake literally shook the D.C. region, there are still repairs to be done to some of the more notable structures impacted by the Aug. 23, 2011 quake. The Washington Monument could remain closed through 2014 and repairs—and fundraising to pay for them—are still underway at the Washington National Cathedral just north of Georgetown. Patch will have coverage on both the Washington Monument and the National Cathedral later today. Until then, we want to know: Where you were this day last year? Did you realize immediately it was an earthquake? I was taking a phone call and trying to refill my SmarTrip card on an upper Metro platform. I thought I just lost my balance (a common occurrence) …
Monday, July 9, 2012
The earthquake that hit the DC region last August caused extensive damage to the monument.
The Washington Monument could remained closed to the public through 2014 as the National Park Services repairs the structure, which was damaged during the August 2011 earthquake, the Washington Post reports. Repairs to the monument are expected to begin in the fall and have been estimated at $15 million. Closer to Georgetown, the Washington National Cathedral is also undergoing repairs caused by the same earthquake. Repairs to the tower pinacles will cost an estimated $20 million.
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
The School Without Walls is the only school that will be closed Aug. 25.
Updated 7:48 p.m. All D.C. Public Schools will be open Thursday, with the exception of the School Without Walls. In a statement released Wednesday evening, Chancellor Kaya Henderson wrote: “As Chancellor of DC Public Schools, I am responsible for the safety of all children and adults who enter our buildings. I take this responsibility extremely seriously,” said Chancellor Kaya Henderson. “The decision to close schools Wednesday was made after careful deliberation and consultation with engineering experts. I believed then and I believe now that this was the right decision to ensure the safety of DCPS community following a serious earthquake that damaged buildings and closed schools throughout the Washington, D.C., area.” Updated 6 p.m. …
The Cathedral will remain closed at least through Sunday, forcing the planned MLK ceremony to be moved to the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.
The 5.8 magnitude earthquake that shook the D.C. region yesterday, had a "significant impact" on the Washington National Cathedral but, "it could have been worse," said Sam Lloyd, dean of the cathedral. Engineers are still assessing the damage so no one could offer a set figure on the costs. But Joe Alonso, the chief mason for the cathedral, estimated that the cost of repairs and renovation would be in the millions. "None of the damage will be covered by insurance," said Richard Weinberg, the spokesman for the cathedral. The cathedral was built, not like a typical hospital or apartment structure is, but instead "stone upon stone," architect-engineer James Cutts told reporters at the press conference Wednesday. Cutts said the cathedral has…
After sustaining substantial damage during the earthquake Tuesday, the National Cathedral is closed Aug. 24
The National Cathedral sustained serious damage from Tuesday's 5.8 magnitude earthquake. Experts are assessing the building damage—both structurally and aesthetically. The building, which sits on the highest point in Washington, D.C., lost a pinnacle from its central tower (see photograph), and stones fell from three of the tower's four pinnacles, said Richard Weinberg, a spokesman for the cathedral, as reported by Bloomberg. Even more, the entire tower appeared to be leaning, Weinberg said in a telephone interview with Bloomberg. The Cathedral has a campaign on its website to raise funds for necessary restoration. You can donate here.
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
No damage discovered; crews will continue to monitor critical infrastructure.
The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) mobilized teams of engineers immediately following today’s earthquake to inspect the District’s critical bridges, tunnels and major infrastructure construction projects. There was no damage discovered during these initial structural inspections. At one point crews responded to a report of falling concrete on the Frederick Douglass Bridge, but no debris was found. In addition, DDOT has not received any reports of pavement or roadway damage from the earthquake. Engineers will continue to monitor critical bridges this week and all DDOT construction projects will continue as scheduled on Wednesday. This evening DDOT crews and contractors continue to work to restore all of the city’s traffic …
Just after 5 a.m. DCPS Chancellor Kaya Henderson announced all schools will be closed for the day.
Updated 7:12 a.m. All District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) will be closed Wednesday, Aug. 24, 2011, to allow for a thorough assessment of school buildings following Tuesday’s earthquake. School staff, except for custodians, should not report to work today. Custodians should remain on stand-by. DCPS administrative offices will open and staff should report to work on time, said Chancellor Kaya Henderson. "Understanding the impact to working parents and families, we made every effort to keep schools open,” Chancellor Henderson said. “However, we felt it would be best to have qualified structural engineers thoroughly inspect all 126 school buildings so our parents and community members could feel confident we've placed the highest …
38.907834
-77.06433
Hyde-Addison Elementary School
3219 O St NW, Washington, DC
/articles/dc-public-schools-sustain-some-damage-in-earthquake
1261246
/locations/5175650
38.914739
-77.06934
Hardy Middle School
1819 35th St NW, Washington, DC
/articles/dc-public-schools-sustain-some-damage-in-earthquake
1261903
/locations/5175651
38.913651
-77.069288
Duke Ellington School of the Arts
3500 R St NW, Washington, DC
/articles/dc-public-schools-sustain-some-damage-in-earthquake
1260197
/locations/5175652
Neil Ward
12:00 pm on Wednesday, August 24, 2011
So the National Cathedral does not SIT on the highest point in Washington; its tallest spire purports to BE the highest point in Washington. I wonder if the Park Service is positive that the highest point of the Cathedral really exceeds the tips of the communications towers mounted at Fort Reno. more ›