The earthquake that was felt by more people than any other in US history

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August 23, 2011 at 1:51 pm was the date and time of the last earthquake in the United States capital. I was seven years old at the time and attending my first week of elementary school in central DC. Suddenly our building shook and we were told to quickly cover ourselves with our desks. Several minutes passed and the shaking stopped. We were then told to move outside. My parents and sister had a similar experience at work. 


The epicenter of the earthquake was Mineral, Virginia and had a magnitude of 5.8 mw. In Washington DC several buildings were damaged such as the Washington Monument and Washington National Cathedral.


Washington National Cathedral, 2011
Washington Monument under construction, 2011
Even though the earthquake was in Virginia, it was felt up and down the east coast in more than 12 states and in several Canadian provinces! It is said to have been felt by more people than any other earthquake in US history. This is likely due to the high densities of populations living along the coast. There were no deaths. 




Although earthquakes are not overall common near or in DC, there have been several instances throughout the past. Most originated in VA but several were in MD with data leading all the way back to 1771. The highest magnitude overall was the most recent one. 


The earthquake happened in what is known as the Virginia Seismic zone. The east coast is a geologically older continental region while the west coast is generally younger. This means that the shaking of an earthquake will reach farther distances due to seismic waves having an easier time traveling through the hard and dense rocks. This earthquake specifically was caused by what is called a reverse slip fault. This is where a crack in the earth’s crust (fault) is moving vertically and the earth on one side moves up over the other side. When this occurs, this is when earthquakes can form.


Works Cited

https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/2017GL075517 

https://www.usgs.gov/news/featured-story/10-year-anniversary-uss-most-widely-felt-earthquake

https://www.wusa9.com/article/weather/weather-blog/tenacious-toppers-blog-remembering-the-virginia-earthquake-of-2011/65-466708375 

https://www.reuters.com/news/picture/quake-shakes-east-coast-idUSRTR2Q8SJ/ 



Comments

  1. ChristalleSeptember 17, 2025 at 10:07 PM

    What a unique first week of elementary school :D The start of your blog really hooked me in! The images you used of the damage done to the monument and cathedral show how, though the earthquake did not last long, major damage was still done. It is interesting how big an impact a natural disaster can have on infrastructure. Also, thank you for providing context on the history of earthquakes in the DMV.

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