Exactly one year ago, at 1:51 p.m. on August 23, 2011, a 5.8 magnitude earthquake hit Virginia and the D.C. area, a wholly unexpected jolt that sent residents and workers scurrying into the streets.
Damage from the earthquake was relatively minor. Loose items fell from store shelves. Some brick structures like chimneys were damaged. Walls cracked at historic Arlington House. The foundation at Arlington Fire Station No. 2 was damaged. The Thomas Jefferson Theater had to be closed for repairs.
In the immediate aftermath of the quake, cell phone service was overloaded by people calling loved ones. Numerous gas leaks are being reported and hundreds of Dominion customers in Arlington lost power. This website crashed and remained only periodically reachable for at least an hour. Office buildings closed for damage assessments, and highways were jammed with workers heading home early.
If there were some bright spots, it was that no significant injuries were reported, and the day’s Democratic primary went off without a hitch.
After the jump, some videos that were taken in Arlington during and after the earthquake.