Tuesday’s unexpected earthquake in Virginia rattled the entire East Coast and forced the closure of several of Washington DC’s most popular tourist draws.

The 5.8 magnitude earthquake, centered on Louisa County in central Virginia, about 85 miles (or 135km) southwest of the District of Columbia, has significantly damaged a handful of the nation’s best-known landmarks, including the Washington Monument and the National Cathedral.

The Washington Monument, a towering stone obelisk standing just over 555 feet (or 169 meters) tall, was discovered to have cracks in the top during a post-earthquake inspection by the National Park Service (NPS). At this point, the entire interior, including the popular observation deck near the top of the structure, is off-limits. The NPS has also set up a protective cordon in a 100-foot radius around the obelisk’s base.

So while the interior of the Washington Monument is closed “indefinitely” as the NPS works to assess the damage and repair it, the grounds around it remain mostly accessible for visitors. The remaining monuments under the NPS’ jurisdiction on the National Mall, including the new Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial, remain open and seemingly unaffected by the quake.

Damage at the Washington National Cathedral following Louisa County, Virginia earthquake. Photo Credit: Washington National Cathedral, Craig Stapert, photographer

The Washington National Cathedral, the country’s second-largest cathedral and among the capital city’s biggest draws for visitors, was closed today as experts assessed the damage to the building. Three of the four corner spires (known as pinnacles) cracked and fell onto the Cathedral’s roof, but assessments so far indicate that the damage was aesthetic, rather than structural. According to Cathedral Dean Samuel T. Lloyd III, “preliminary reports indicate that despite the damage, the building will soon be accessible.”

Most local travel infrastructure seems to have passed through the seismic event with minimal disruptions. The Washington Metropolitan Airports Authority has said that both Reagan National Airport and Dulles International Airport are now operating normally after brief hiccups in the wake of the quake. Other airports throughout the Northeast are also back to operating at full capacity.

Train service was also briefly interrupted in Amtrak’s heavily-used Northeastern Corridor following the quake, with some delays stretching into Tuesday evening. But as of today, service has returned to normal.

By Matthew Calcara for PeterGreenberg.com. Photo Credit (top): Dept. of Agriculture – USDA photo by Scott Bauer.

Related Links: Christian Science Monitor, Richmond Times-Dispatch, Los Angeles Times, NationalCathedral.org, NPS.gov

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