THE MINERAL, VIRGINIA EARTHQUAKE Lessons From A Rare, Shallow- Depth, Moderate - Magnitude Event in the Eastern United States AUGUST 23, 2011 Dr. Walter Hays, Global Alliance For Disaster Reduction

THE EARTHQUAKE 1:51 PM ET

MINERAL, VIRGINIA: ABOUT 160 KM (100 MI) SW OF WASHINGTON, DC

MINERAL, VA A TOWN OF 430 PEOPLE

Earthquakes are rare in the Eastern U.S. because the region is several hundred miles away from the closest plate boundary, which is in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.

Today’s shallow (1 km) earthquake was probably generated by rupture of the Spotsylvania fault, an ancient break in the Earth’s crust that is now a part of the North American plate.

THE M5.8 EARTHQUAKE OCCURRED AT 1:51 PM ON AUGUST 23 rd The USGS downgraded the magnitude from M5.9 (tied for largest historic quake in Virginia) to M5.8

ALTHOUGH A MODERATE EARTHQUAKE, THIS EARTHQUAKE WAS THE LARGEST IN VIRGINIA SINCE 1897

WHAT HAPPENED FOLLOWING TODAY’S MODERATE EARTHQUAKE Above all else, it was a WAKE-UP call!!! No deaths, but with typical short- period effects close to the source and long- period effects far from the source

Although the epicenter of the quake (and the source of the seismic energy) was in Mineral, VA, the ground shaking was felt as far north as Boston, New York, and Detroit, and as far south as Atlanta.

NOTE: The rocks in the Eastern United States are old and cold, which makes them more efficient in transmitting seismic energy from a M5.8 quake much farther than the young and hot rocks in the Western United States.

MINERAL, VA: DAMAGE TO CITY HALL

MINERAL, VA: DAMAGE IN HOME

WASHINGTON DC: THE CAPITOL AND ALL GOVERNMENT BUILDINGS EVACUATED

WASHINGTON, DC: EVACUATION OF GOVERNMENT BUILDINGS

WASHINGTON, DC: EVACUEES ON PENNSYLVANIA AVE

WASHINGTON, DC: EVACUATION OF AUSTRIAN EMBASSEY

THE WASHINGTON MONUMENT HAD CRACKS NEAR THE TOP

WASHINGTON MONUMENT CLOSED

WASHINGTON CATHEDERAL: BROKEN SPIRE

WASHINGTON, DC: TRAFFIC GRID LOCK 2 HOURS AFTER EATHQUAKE

VIRGINIA: EVACUATION OF COLLEGE STUDENTS WHO JUST STARTED AGAIN

NEW YORK: EVACUATION OF BUSINESSES

The Governor of Virginia ordered a situation assessment to determine extent of damage and needs.

US Capitol shut down for damage inspection by Capitol Architect.

Many Virginia and Washington, DC schools closed for safety inspections

Automatic safe shutdown of two nuclear power plants in Virginia

WHAT DID WE LEARN FROM THE MINERAL EARTHQUAKE?

1. Be ready to protect your capitol, your community, your school, your business, --- and your people.

2. Be prepared for an act of terrorism, which is what many people thought that the earthquake was (i.e., in some unknown way another 9/11 act of terrorism).

3. Be prepared for what can happen in a rare event---a moderate earthquake that only happens every century-- - that can impact one- half of the nation.

4. Be prepared for the situation when local communication is disrupted and even shut down (i.e., when cell phones and the internet become useless immediately after a major earthquake occurs).

5. Take actions to avert disaster by making the nation’s communication network and its partnerships as broad and deep as possible, encompassing and engaging the appropriate local, community, state, Federal, and international institutions.