Emergency drill to mark anniversary of Louisa quake - NBC12.com - Richmond, VA News

The Louisa County school system will remember the one year anniversary of the 5.8 magnitude Virginia earthquake in a number of ways Thursday.

The quake caused millions of dollars in damage. This was the largest earthquake to hit the east coast since 1944. It's believed to have been felt by more people than any other in U.S. history, changing the way responders view emergency preparedness.

The hardest hit area was Louisa County. The county's high school and one of its elementary schools were damaged beyond repair. Because of this, earthquakes are now a part of emergency response plans that only focused on hurricane, tornadoes and snow.

One of the ways the county will remember the quake will be with an earthquake drill for all schools. That will happen at 1:51 Thursday afternoon, the same time the quake hit last year.

The Washington Monument has several large cracks because of the quake. It's not expected to reopen until 2014.

There will also be an anniversary ceremony there Thursday. 

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