A 5.8 magnitude earthquake hit Virginia at 1:51 pm EDT and was felt across much of the East Coast on Tuesday, August 23, 2011, causing terrifying consequences from Washington D.C. to New York.
Hundreds of thousands of people had been forced to evacuate buildings including the Pentagon and the White House for fear they could collapse.
The quake was the third strongest along the East Coast in recorded history and the strongest since World War II.
Though no deaths, serious injuries or tsunami warning have been immediately reported after the huge natural disaster, the air and train traffic was disrupted across the Northeast and mid-Atlantic.
Another 4.2 magnitude aftershock struck Mineral, Virginia just several hours after the first earthquake.
All memorials and monuments on the National Mall were closed for inspections.
The US earthquake map. According to the the U.S. Geological Survey, the earthquake occurred at a depth of about 0.1 miles
Three pinnacles at the top fell off the 30-story-tall central tower at the National Cathedral, the highest building in Washington D.C.
Debris covers the aisle floor at the Miller's mart food store in Mineral, Virginia
Debris can be seen outside the Ecquador Embassy in Washington D.C.
Staff run from the Pentagon after the earthquake, and think it was an attack
Office workers gather on a sidewalk after their building was evacuated following the earthquake in New York
Office workers gather on the sidewalk in downtown Washington
People gather at open space after the earthquake
Children are evacuated from the Jacob K. Javits Federal building in New York on Tuesday after the earthquake
National monuments in Washington, typically bustling with tourists, are empty after they were cleared by park officials
People gather for safety in a garden in Lower Manhattan after the earthquake
Part of a library's roof in Washington D.C. crumbles during the earthquake
Workers stand in Foley Square park in New York after the earthquake
US Capitol Police officers take control the streets outside the US Capitol in Washington, D.C.
A bride in her wedding dress runs from the courthouse in Lower Manhattan in New York after feeling the terrifying shake
Many cars in Virginia had been destroyed completely after the quake
Christopher Hartman covers the chimney of his dad’s office in Mineral, Virginia with a tarpaulin after it was destroyed by the quake
Earthquake Hits Virginia, New York and Washington DC
Related links:
8.9-Magnitude Earthquake Hit Japan
Japan Needs Help After Quake-Tsunami Disaster
4.4 & 5.2 Magnitude Earthquakes Strike Southern Spain, 10 Dead
5.8 Magnitude Earthquake Hits Virginia, Washington D.C., NYC 2011