Tourists look on a helicopter flies closely to the Washington Monument to survey its exterior for damage after a 5.8 magnitude earthquake struck the east coast August 23, 2011 in Washington, DC. Police officers said that unidentified material had fallen off the Washington Monument as a result of the earthquake. All the monuments and buildings along the National Mall have been evacuated and closed. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

The spires of the Washington National Cathedral are seen on August 23, 2011 in Washington, DC. According to reports the church suffered minor damage to several spires. The epicenter of the 5.8 earthquake was located in near Louisa in central Virginia. (Photo by Brendan Hoffman/Getty Images)

People gather outside of their buildings in lower Manhattan after being evacuated following an earthquake on August 23, 2011 in New York City. The epicenter of the 5.8 earthquake was located near Louisa in central Virginia. Two nuclear power plants at the North Anna Power Station in the same county were reportedly taken offline. (Photo by Michael Bocchieri/Getty Images)