Washington DC Earthquake August 23 2011 5.8

A 5.8 Scale earthquake happened on August 23 2011 in Washington DC and was so strong that it hit New york city, Michigan, and Pennsylvania.

What to do during an Earthquake

Stay as safe as possible during an earthquake. Be aware that some earthquakes are actually foreshocks and a larger earthquake might occur. Minimize your movements to a few steps to a nearby safe place and if you are indoors, stay there until the shaking has stopped and you are sure exiting is safe. If indoors DROP to the ground; take COVER by getting under a sturdy table or other piece of furniture; and HOLD ON until the shaking stops. If there isn’t a table or desk near you, cover your face and head with your arms and crouch in an inside corner of the building. Stay away from glass, windows, outside doors and walls, and anything that could fall, such as lighting fixtures or furniture. Stay in bed if you are there when the earthquake strikes. Hold on and protect your head with a pillow, unless you are under a heavy light fixture that could fall. In that case, move to the nearest safe place. Use a doorway for shelter only if it is in close proximity to you and if you know it is a strongly supported, loadbearing doorway. Stay inside until the shaking stops and it is safe to go outside. Research has shown that most injuries occur when people inside buildings attempt to move to a different location inside the building or try to leave. Be aware that the electricity may go out or the sprinkler systems or fire alarms may turn on. DO NOT use the elevators. If outdoors Stay there. Move away from buildings, streetlights, and utility wires. Once in the open, stay there until the shaking stops. The greatest danger exists directly outside buildings, at exits and alongside exterior walls. Many of the 120 fatalities from the 1933 Long Beach earthquake occurred when people ran outside of buildings only to be killed by falling debris from collapsing walls. Ground movement during an earthquake is seldom the direct cause of death or injury. Most earthquake-related casualties result from collapsing walls, flying glass, and falling objects. If in a moving vehicle Stop as quickly as safety permits and stay in the vehicle. Avoid stopping near or under buildings, trees, overpasses, and utility wires. Proceed cautiously once the earthquake has stopped. Avoid roads, bridges, or ramps that might have been damaged by the earthquake. If trapped under debris Do not light a match. Do not move about or kick up dust. Cover your mouth with a handkerchief or clothing. Tap on a pipe or wall so rescuers can locate you. Use a whistle if one is available. Shout only as a last resort. Shouting can cause you to inhale dangerous amounts of dust.

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FROM THE NEW YORK POST ABOUT THE WASHINGTON DC EARTHQUAKE!

The US Geological Survey said the earthquake was 3.7 miles deep, officials said.

The USGS had initially said the quake was a 6.0, but it was later downgraded.

Shaking was felt at the White House and all over the East Coast, as far south as Chapel Hill, NC.

The quake's epicenter was in Mineral, Va., in Louisa County, about 90 miles away from DC.

Larry Sabato, director of the University of Virginia Center for Politics, posted on Twitter a description of the strength of the quake as felt from his building at the university.

"I thought the Pavilion would collapse -- seriously," he wrote. "At first I thought it was an explosion. Pavilion IV on Lawn was swaying. Cracks here and there, broken window panes."

The quake zone is within 100 miles of two nuclear power plants. The reactors were automatically taken off line by safety systems and no damage was reported at either location.

Washington's Union Station was evacuated and damaged as a result of the quake. Cracks opened up and chunks of plaster fell from the ceiling.

DC police told a Fox News producer that there is concern that the Washington Monument may have tilted during the earthquake.

In New York, City Hall was also evacuated after a tremor was felt. Mayor Bloomberg was escorted from the building along with other city workers soon after the ground shook.

The 26-story federal courthouse in downtown Manhattan began swaying as hundreds of people were seen leaving the building.

Jeff Sarath, a mailroom supervisor in the Manhattan federal courthouse, was standing at the eighth-floor counter when the quake struck.

"I felt the building shaking," the 70-year-old Chelsea resident said. "I held on to the counter to make sure I wasn't hallucinating or something."

Lawyer Jeff Fourmaux was sitting on the sixth floor of the building waiting to see a judge when "it seemed like maybe somebody was rolling something very heavy in the hallway."

"And then it just stopped and it seemed like there was a steamroller on the floor above us," he said. "It was a very odd feeling because you don't expect a building to start moving in Manhattan."

NYPD spokesman Paul Browne said he was on the 14th floor at 1 Police Plaza when he felt "a distinct rumbling followed by movement."

"We've ordered an evacuation but we kept 911 and communications [open]. They're not evacuating from their posts. No buildings have collapsed and no communications have been disrupted."

One police officer said the tremors felt like being on a boat.

"It felt like waves," he said.

The control towers at JFK and Newark airports were evacuated, according to NYCAviation, an aerospace news organization.

Cell phone service in and around Washington, DC, was reportedly disrupted after the tremor.

The rattling was strong enough that pictures hanging in the Capitol building reportedly fell from the walls.

Aftershocks from the quake made the press box sway slightly during the first game of a doubleheader between the Indians and Seattle Mariners.

As the Mariners were batting in the fourth inning Tuesday, the press box high above home plate and the third-base line moved left and right and continued for nearly 30 seconds.

Fans at Progressive Field did not seem to notice any unusual movement. Play was not interrupted on the field.

The Indians had no immediate word if there was any structural damage.

Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/earthquake_hits_washington_dc_7wzLyL9FiFBEDny0mKsVzH#ixzz1Vseuj5om