Thursday marks seven years since powerful quake rocked Virginia

LOUISA, VA (WWBT) - A massive earthquake centered in Louisa struck the East Coast seven years ago Thursday.

The quake measured 5.8 on the Richter scale and was centered about 5 miles south of Mineral at about 1:51 p.m. It was felt as far north as Rhode Island and New York City. While it didn't cause any deaths or major injuries, it did cause $80 million in damage to homes, schools and public buildings in Louisa.

A brand new Louisa High School opened four years after the quake.

The air control tower at Richmond International Airport was briefly evacuated and many downtown Richmond buildings were evacuated following the quake. Both Kings Dominion and Busch Gardens reportedly shut down all rides while inspections were conducted.

Parts of the Pentagon, the White House, the Capitol and federal agencies were evacuated. Memorials and monuments on the National Mall were also evacuated and closed in Washington, D.C., after the earthquake, according to the National Park Service.

The Washington Monument and National Cathedral were both damaged, according to the Washington Post.

The earthquake struck an area that historically is not seismically active. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the largest recorded earthquake in Virginia history was a 5.9 on the scale, centered around Giles County in 1897.

A 4.2 magnitude aftershock was felt in Louisa later that night, and numerous aftershocks have occurred in the years since then.

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