East Coast earthquake

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Skyscrapers Actually a Good Place to Be in an Earthquake

Though earthquakes are rare in NYC, high-rises are built to withstand them

(Newser) - The ground rumbled Friday beneath New York City, home to famous skyscrapers like the Empire State Building and One World Trade Center. Though buildings that can reach above 100 stories might seem especially vulnerable to earthquakes, engineering experts say skyscrapers are built with enough flexibility to withstand moderate shaking, the...

Earthquake Shakes New York, New Jersey Region
Earthquake Shakes
New York, New Jersey Region
UPDATED
Apr 5, 2024 9:41 AM CDT

Earthquake Shakes New York, New Jersey Region

It had a preliminary magnitude of 4.7

(Newser) - An earthquake shook the densely populated New York City metropolitan area Friday morning, the US Geological Survey said, with residents reporting they felt rumbling across the Northeast. The agency reported a quake with a preliminary magnitude of 4.7, centered near Lebanon, New Jersey, or about 45 miles west of...

You Can Finally Visit Washington Monument Again

Landmark reopens 3 years after earthquake

(Newser) - More than 150 cracks have been repaired, rainwater leaks have been sealed, and the 130-year-old Washington Monument will reopen today for the first time in nearly three years since an earthquake caused widespread damage. The memorial has been closed for about 33 months for engineers to conduct an extensive analysis...

Washington Relights Quake-Hit Monument

488 lights will keep it glowing during repairs

(Newser) - While the Washington Monument is closed for earthquake damage repairs over the next year, 488 lamps will restore the marble tower's glow each night on the National Mall. The National Park Service lit up the monument for the first time last night, and will continue to do so each...

Today, Worldwide: Earthquake Drills

"Great ShakeOut" will take place in US, Canada, Italy

(Newser) - If you see people ducking and covering today, don't panic—they're probably just participating in the "Great ShakeOut," an international earthquake preparedness drill. Around 14 million people in the US, Canada, Guam, Puerto Rico, and Italy will take part in the exercise, reports the AP . "...

Virginia Once Again Rattled by Quake

But this is a tiny one: a magnitude of just 2.4

(Newser) - It's been nearly a year since a dateline of "Mineral, Virginia," made some earth-shaking news , but the town worked its way back into the press in the wee hours of this morning: A very minor earthquake rattled the same Virginia area that bore the brunt of last...

Billionaire Pays to Fix Washington Monument

David Rubenstein chips in $7.5M

(Newser) - Billionaire history buff and Carlyle Group co-founder David Rubenstein has agreed to chip in $7.5 million to help repair the damage the Washington Monument suffered in the August earthquake that shook the region. Congress had already allocated $7.5 million to the task, and expected an equal amount to...

Eerie Washington Monument Quake Video Released

DC landmark to remain closed indefinitely

(Newser) - Debris falls from the ceiling and terrified tourists run for safety in a video released by the National Park Service that shows the moment last month when an earthquake damaged the Washington Monument . The video was taken by a surveillance camera near the top of the 555-foot-tall landmark. Officials say...

Washington Monument Springs a Leak

Hurricane Irene flooded quake-damaged landmark

(Newser) - The East Coast earthquake and Hurricane Irene have left the Washington Monument flooded. Engineers plugged cracks in the monument caused by last week's quake before the storm hit, but pools of water were found inside during a post-hurricane inspection, indicating that some cracks are still undiscovered.

Bachmann: God Sent the Hurricane, Earthquake...

To make Washington spend less

(Newser) - Michele Bachmann is the latest candidate to make the risky political move of “attributing political motive to natural disasters,” as Alexander Burns writes for Politico . The St. Petersburg Times reports that this weekend at a campaign event in Florida, while praising the Tea Party for its focus on...

Cantor Holds Line on Cuts to Pay for Disaster Relief

Same goes for earthquake in his district

(Newser) - Eric Cantor took some heat after he demanded spending cuts to pay for disaster relief in Joplin, but he looks to be holding the line when his own district is involved: Congress "will find the monies" to cover earthquake damage in Mineral, Va. , but “those monies will be...

More Cracks Found in Washington Monument

DC landmark to remain closed indefinitely

(Newser) - Further inspection has revealed even more cracks in the top portion of the Washington Monument, which was damaged by this week's 5.9 magnitude earthquake . Engineers discovered the cracks during a day-long inspection of the interior of the monument, AP reports. A 4-inch crack was discovered during an inspection...

DC Zoo Animals Sensed Quake
 DC Zoo Animals Sensed Quake  
Aug 25, 2011 3:43 AM CDT

DC Zoo Animals Sensed Quake

Apes starting climbing seconds before ground started shaking

(Newser) - In a mysterious phenomenon that has been observed since ancient times, animals at the National Zoo in Washington, DC, appear to have sensed Tuesday's earthquake before humans did. Seconds before the ground began to shake, gorillas and orangutans dropped their food, grabbed their young, and climbed as high as...

4.5 Aftershock Rattles Virginia
 4.5 Aftershock Rattles Virginia 
Aug 25, 2011 1:18 AM CDT

4.5 Aftershock Rattles Virginia

Restless night for East Coasters

(Newser) - Virginians were rocked in their sleep this morning when a 4.5 aftershock struck 9 miles south of the town of Mineral near Richmond at 1am, reports the Washington Post . The shaker, close to the site of Tuesday's 5.9 quake, was the strongest so far of five aftershocks...

Big Question of Yesterday's Quake: Why Virginia?

And will it happen again?

(Newser) - "Smack dab in the middle of Virginia" doesn't seem like the likeliest earthquake epicenter locale, and yesterday's quake has plenty of East Coasters wondering why it struck there—and if it'll happen again. The Christian Science Monitor tosses out the word "rare": USGS seismic hazard...

Quake Damaged Washington Monument, Natl. Cathedral

Both closed indefinitely after cracks found

(Newser) - Officials tallying up the damage from yesterday's shocking East Coast earthquake discovered hits on the Washington Monument and the National Cathedral. National Park Service workers found cracks near the top of the 91,000-ton marble monument, which has been closed indefinitely to protect the public, reports AP . Three of...

East Coasters to West: Let Us Wallow in Terror, OK?

Let us keep feeling sorry for ourselves after earthquake: East Coasters

(Newser) - Dudes, get over yourselves. You East Coasters think you're all that with your 5.8 shakers, but we eat those for breakfast, man. Like, "welcome to our world," tweeted San Francisco traffic guy Sal Castaneda, representing a horde of more-earthquake-than-thou Californians. But as Gawker responded: "Hey,...

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