What Are Your Memories of the 2011 Virginia Earthquake?

One year ago Thursday, the East Coast was shaken by a 5.8-magnitude earthquake.

One year ago Thursday, a 5.8-magnitude earthquake centered in Mineral, Va., shook the East Coast just before 2 p.m.  It was the largest quake to hit the eastern seaboard since 1944, and thousands of homes, businesses and churches received damage. In Alexandria, things fell off our mantles and shelves, school children and office workers were evacuated, and a local primary for State Senate was briefly halted. Gadsby’s Tavern received some damage, mostly to the chimneys of a section dating back to 1792. The brickwork at City Hall also suffered in the quake and some chimneys on Old Town homes fell. Cell phone service went down for several hours, adding to the confusion. Quickly, however, the city and region got back to its routine. What are …

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Green and Simple

Green and Simple: Including Education in Your Emergency Prep Plans

The recent earthquake and hurricane taught us value of emergency preparation beyond the usual supplies and logistics.

Our middle child is afraid of major natural events and even minor weather events that present with ominous skies and pervasive threatening sounds. At quite a young age, she learned that one of her preschool teachers came from a land where the teacher witnessed destruction caused by a volcano. Because our daughter was so young and lacked an understanding of time and place, the volcano might as well have been next door. Her fear of volcanoes transferred to what she did experience, which was mainly thunderstorms. My husband and I have always emphasized that it is more empowering to respect nature than to fear it. Certainly, there are times when natural weather events evoke fear, and understandably so. Approaching these events with a sense of …

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Northern Virginia Rattled by 4.5 Aftershock at 1:07 A.M. Thursday

Did you feel it? Let us know in the comments.

Northern Virginia was rattled by a 4.5 aftershock earthquake at 1:07 a.m. Thursday, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The aftershock is "probably the biggest we'll get," said Paul Caruso, a geophysicist at the U.S. Geological Survey in Golden, Colo. "Usually the largest is about one magnitude smaller." The Tuesday earthquake was a 5.8. Caruso noted that the Eastern United States sees fewer aftershocks than the West Coast. "There seem to be about 10 times less," he said. The aftershock was centered in a town named Louisa, which is just 31 miles east of Charlottesville. The area is near Mineral, Va., the epicenter of the 5.8 quake that rattled the region Tuesday afternoon. Mineral is 84 miles southwest of the nation's capital. On the …

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Earthquake, Hurricane Irene Remind Residents to Update Emergency Plans

Alexandria offers online resources to create disaster plans.

Tuesday afternoon’s 5.8 magnitude earthquake and the looming threat of Hurricane Irene should make residents think about updating their personal disaster plans. Hurricane Irene is expected to pick up speed and strength Wednesday as it turns toward the East Coast, according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami. The latest projections indicate Virginia could see significant rain and wind over the weekend, avoiding a direct hit. Still, the 2011 hurricane season is young and, as Tuesday’s surprise trembler reminded us, disaster can strike at any time. Online Resources The City of Alexandria’s website features an emergency preparedness section with specific information for hurricanes, earthquakes and more. The site also features a brochure…

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Northern Virginia Shoppers, Office Workers Experience 5.9 Quake

Office workers in Old Town Alexandria stood outside trying to contact loved ones and waited for the all-clear sign before returning to their offices.

Shoppers, tourists, and office workers were stunned after experiencing an earthquake in Northern Virginia on Tuesday. In Old Town, Alexandria, the Christmas Attic, a shop housed in a building that dates to 1785 that sells year-round holiday ornaments, saw damage to its stock on upper floors. "Our Christopher Radko ornaments were damaged and all the dolls fell," said Betsy Husser, buyer for the store. Husser, who lived eight years in Japan, said she knew immediately that it was an earthquake that hit on Tuesday. A train that chugs over shoppers' heads fell off its tracks. Brittni Foster, on the job just a few days, was taking a break over on the docks with her sister when the quake struck. "It was bouncing. We thought maybe a plane had …

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