WASHINGTON — There was a crack in the Washington Monument, and capstones were broken at the National Cathedral. In the District of Columbia suburbs, some people stayed in shelters because of structural concerns at their apartment buildings.
The 5.8 magnitude quake felt from Georgia north to Canada prompted swift inspections of many structures Wednesday, including bridges and nuclear plants. An accurate damage estimate could take weeks, if not longer. And many people will not be covered by insurance.
The monument, by far the tallest structure in the nation's capital, was to remain closed indefinitely. It has never been damaged by a natural disaster, including earthquakes in Virginia in 1897 and New York in 1944, said Bill Line, a National Park Service spokesman.
"It's really closed," said the clerk, Erin Nolan. Tuesday's quake was centered about 40 miles northwest of Richmond, 90 miles south of Washington and 3.7 miles underground. In the nearby town of Mineral, Va., Michael Leman knew his Main Street Plumbing & Electrical Supply business would need — at best — serious and expensive repairs.
"I've got people's jobs to look out for."
The Insurance Information Institute said earthquakes are not covered under standard U.S. homeowners or business insurance policies, although supplemental coverage is usually available.
The institute says coverage for other damage that may result from earthquakes, such as fire and water damage from burst gas or water pipes, is provided by standard homeowners and business insurance policies in most states.
A chimney from the old Culpeper Baptist Church built in 1894 also tumbled down.
New York’s Failed Earthquake Response Test
Tuesday’s earthquake rattled some New Yorkers enough to make them evacuate glass-encased office towers, and even the mayor and his staff fled City Hall.
Kelly Huston, the assistant secretary of California’s Emergency Management Agency, said that watching New Yorkers evacuate on television was “unsettling.”
A building collapse, he said, is very unlikely.
Ms. Donahue said she experienced earthquakes growing up in Nicaragua where many buildings were low to the ground. But working on the 41st floor during Tuesday’s temblor, she said she felt unsafe. Not all New Yorkers evacuated, of course. Justin Link, 27, a sales executive in another office tower on Sixth Avenue, was unfazed. The doorway is one of the weakest points of the building.”
Ricky Kennedy, 29, an account director for Thomson Reuters in Times Square, said he felt the quake roll his rolling chair, but “laughed it off.” “I don’t blame people for evacuating,” said Chip Nusbaum, 63, a native Californian, who says he hadn’t completely gotten used to living without earthquakes. “People remember all of the people at the World Trade Center who were told to stay at their desks,” he said.
New York City earthquake inspires at least one 'I survived the quake' tattoo
Customers of a Brooklyn tattoo shop are signing up to have "Survived the Quake" inked on their skin - even though the design was offered as a joke.
"My whole shop was swaying back and forth," said Khay, who owns Citizen Ink Studios in Sheepshead Bay. Jonathan Berg, 21, had it inscribed on his waist.
I thought that was pretty hilarious," said the Gerritsen Beach man, who has 14 other tattoos.
Khay wasn't the only person in the country to turn the quake into commerce. "It's not the weirdest thing I have tattooed on people," Khay said with a grin.
