East Coast quake
The Smithsonican Castle, left, and the Washington Monument are seen on Aug. 24, 2011, in Washington, D.C., a day after a large earthquake struck the region. Both landmarks remained closed after the 5.8-magnitude quake. The Washington Monument is closed indefinitely after a four-inch crack was found on one of the triangular faces at the top of the structure.
Quake rattles East Coast
Video: Mineral, Va. - Earthquake epicenter
Why are East Coast earthquakes so widely felt?
Virginia
Debris covers the floor of the Miller's Mart food store in Mineral, Va., a small town northwest of Richmond near the earthquake's epicenter, Tuesday, Aug. 23, 2011. The most powerful earthquake to strike the East Coast in 67 years shook buildings and rattled nerves from South Carolina to Maine.
Quake rattles East Coast
Video: Mineral, Va. - Earthquake epicenter
Why are East Coast earthquakes so widely felt?
Virginia
The sun sets behind a quake damaged building in Mineral, Va., a small town close to the epicenter, Tuesday, Aug. 23, 2011. It was the most powerful earthquake to strike the East Coast in 67 years, shaking buildings and rattling nerves from South Carolina to Maine.
Washington, D.C.
Pieces of the ceiling at Union Station are missing and cracks are seen after an earthquake was felt in Washington, Tuesday, Aug. 23, 2011. The most powerful earthquake to strike the East Coast in 67 years shook buildings and jarred as many as 12 million people up and down the East Coast.
Delaware
Large chunks of stone that fell off of St. Thomas the Apostle church in Wilmington, Del. are shown Tuesday, Aug. 23, 2011, after one of the strongest earthquakes ever recorded on the East Coast shook buildings and rattled nerves from South Carolina to New England.
Virginia
Ben Gayle picks up broken glass and liquor bottles after an earthquake shook the ABC Store on Route 218 in Stafford, Va., Thursday, Aug. 23, 2011.
Washington, D.C.
People crowd Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, Tuesday, Aug. 23, 2011, as they evacuate buildings after an 5.8 magnitude earthquake in the Washington area. The earthquake, centered northwest of Richmond, Va., shook much of Washington, D.C., and was felt as far north as New England. .
Philadelphia
Cracks appear on the facade of a building on Market Street in downtown Philadelphia following an earthquake along the East coast Tuesday, Aug. 23, 2011. The earthquake centered in Virginia forced evacuations of all the monuments in Washington and rattled nerves from the southern state of Georgia to Martha's Vineyard, the Massachusetts island in the northeast where President Barack Obama is vacationing.
Washington, D.C.
One of the spires , left, of the National Cathedral is seen missing following an earthquake in the Washington, Tuesday, Aug., 23, 2011. The earthquake centered in Virginia forced evacuations of all the monuments on the National Mall in Washington and rattled nerves from Georgia to Martha's Vineyard. No injuries were immediately reported.
Washington, D.C.
Large pieces of concrete lay in the street in front of the Embassy of Ecuador after the building was damaged in an earthquake felt in Washington, on Tuesday, Aug. 23, 2011.
Washington, D.C.
Police block off the alley behind the Embassy of Ecuador in Washington after part of the building sustained damages, Tuesday, Aug. 23, 2011, after a earthquake in the Washington area.
Maryland
A man walks past bricks that fell off of a house once owned by the late Rep. Parren Mitchell, D-Md., after an earthquake was felt in Baltimore, Tuesday, Aug. 23, 2011. Downtown office buildings were cleared and workers were waiting for clearance to re-enter. One of the strongest earthquakes ever recorded on the East Coast shook buildings and rattled nerves from South Carolina to New England on Tuesday and forced the evacuations of parts of the Capitol, White House and Pentagon.
Kentucky
Employees are cleared to return to work in an Ashland, Ky. office building Tuesday Aug. 23, 2011, following tremors from an earthquake centered near Mineral, Va.
Virginia
Louisa County school superintendent Deborah Pettit, left, County of Louisa Green Spring District Supervisor Richard Havasy, center, and school board member Brian Huffman survey the damage to Louis County High school after the 5.8 magnitude earthquake in Mineral, Va. Tuesday, Aug. 23, 2011.
Virginia
Delbert Feaster with Louisa County Fire and EMS walks the perimeter of the Mineral Virginia Post Office after is was closed from structural damage during an earthquake Tuesday, Aug. 23, 2001, in Mineral, Va. The U.S. Geological Survey said the earthquake was half a mile deep and centered near Louisa, Va., about 40 miles northwest of Richmond.
New York City
Crowds stand on Wall Street after the effects of an arthquake was felt on Aug. 23, 2011, in New York. The U.S. Geological Survey said the earthquake was half a mile deep and centered near Louisa, Va., about 40 miles northwest of Richmond. Two nuclear power plants at the North Anna Power Station in the same county were reportedly taken offline.
Washington, D.C.
A woman checks her phone as office workers and others gather on Freedom Plaza after an earthquake was felt in Washington D.C. Aug. 23, 2011. One of the strongest earthquakes to strike the U.S. East Coast in decades rattled offices Tuesday in downtown Washington and caused panicked evacuations from skyscrapers as far away as New York.
Washington, D.C.
Civilians and military personnel evacuate the Pentagon in Washington after an earthquake was felt on Tuesday, Aug. 23, 2011. At the Pentagon, a low rumbling built until the building itself was shaking, and people ran into the corridors of the complex.
President Obama
President Barack Obama takes a break from playing golf to speak on a mobile phone at Farm Neck Golf Club, in Oak Bluffs, Mass., on the island of Martha's Vineyard, Tuesday, Aug. 23, 2011. Obama spoke on the phone within an hour of an earthquake that was felt in many areas along the country's East Coast.
New York City
Children are evacuated from the Jacob K. Javits Federal building in lower Manhattan, on Tuesday, Aug. 23, 2011, after an earthquake centered northwest of Richmond, Va. was felt in New York. The 26-story federal courthouse, blocks from ground zero of the Sept. 11 attacks, began swaying, and hundreds of people streamed out of the building.
Washington, D.C.
Office workers gather on the sidewalk in downtown Washington, Tuesday, Aug. 23, 2011, moments after a tremor shook the nation's capitol. An earthquake centered northwest of Richmond, Va., shook much of Washington, D.C., and was felt as far north as Rhode Island and New York City.
Baltimore
People look up at a downtown building after an earthquake was felt in Baltimore, Tuesday, Aug. 23, 2011. Downtown office buildings were cleared and workers were waiting for clearance to re-enter. One of the strongest earthquakes ever recorded on the East Coast shook buildings and rattled nerves from South Carolina to New England on Tuesday and forced the evacuations of parts of the Capitol, White House and Pentagon.
Washington, D.C.
Office and construction workers at the White House complex cross Pennsylvania Ave. in Washington, Tuesday, Aug. 23, 2011, after buildings where evacuated following an earthquake in the Washington area. The 5.9 magnitude earthquake centered northwest of Richmond, Va., shook much of Washington, D.C., and was felt as far north as Rhode Island and New York City.
Washington, D.C.
Pedestrians cross an intersection of downtown Washington, Tuesday, Aug. 23, 2011, after office buildings where evacuated following an earthquake was felt in Washington. The quake centered northwest of Richmond, Va., shook much of Washington, D.C., and was felt as far north as Rhode Island and New York City.
Philadelphia
A maintenance worker looks for additional cracked windows in a building on Market Street in Philadelphia after an earthquake was felt Tuesday, Aug. 23, 2011.
Philadelphia
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.
Ohio
People evacuate the Midtown Plaza Stark County Jobs & Family Services building in Canton, Ohio, after feeling an earthquake Tuesday, Aug. 23, 2011.
Baltimore
People check their phones as they wait outside of an office building after an earthquake was felt in Baltimore, Tuesday, Aug. 23, 2011.
New York City
People stand in Foley Square after being evacuated from federal and state buildings surrounding it in New York on Tuesday, Aug. 23, 2011, following one of the strongest earthquakes ever recorded on the U.S. East Coast.
Washington, D.C.
People use the stairs to evacuate a building in Washington, Wednesday, Aug. 24, 2011, after an earthquake hit the Washington area. The earthquake centered northwest of Richmond, Va., shook much of Washington, D.C., and was felt as far north as Rhode Island and New York City.
New York City
Suzanne Beatty comforts her son, Quentin Beatty, 7, on a street in New York's TriBeCa neighborhood after the effects of an earthquake in Virginia were felt there on Aug. 23, 2011.
Washington, D.C.
U.S. Capitol Police officers secure the streets outside the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. Aug. 23, 2011, following an earthquake centered in Mineral, Va. The quake forced evacuations of all the memorials and monuments on the National Mall in and rattled nerves from South Carolina to Martha's Vineyard, the Massachusetts island where President Barack Obama is vacationing.
Virginia
People stand in the doorway of the Beverley Street Studio Art School after an earthquake was felt, in Staunton, Va. on Tuesday, Aug. 23, 2011.
New York City
Construction workers at ground zero head back to work after an earthquake shook Manhattan, Tuesday, Aug. 23, 2011, in New York. The epicenter of the 5.9 magnitude earthquake was in Virginia and forced evacuations of all the memorials and monuments on the National Mall in Washington and rattled nerves along the east coast.
New Jersey
People stand outside after a temporary evacuation from office buildings in Jersey City, N.J., Tuesday, Aug. 23, 2011. One of the strongest earthquakes ever recorded on the East Coast shook buildings and rattled nerves from South Carolina to New England.
Virginia
Blue Cross Blue Shield employees Keonna Freeman, left, 28, and Erica Cole, 33, check their mobile devices after a 5.8 magnitude earthquake in central Virginia sent tremors up the east coast, Tuesday, Aug. 23, 2011, in downtown Wilmington, Del.