NU Online News Service, Aug. 24, 12:10 p.m. EDT
The 5.8 magnitude Virginia earthquake that shook the East Coast yesterday is expected to produce less than $100 million in insured losses, a catastrophe modeler said.
EQECAT released a statement last night saying that, due to the nature of the East Coast's geology, earthquakes in the central and eastern United States “can be felt over an area as much as 10 times larger than a similar magnitude earthquake in the western” United States.
Reports say the earthquake was felt as far north as Toronto, Canada, (400 miles away) and as far south as Atlanta (430 miles from the epicenter).
The United States Geological Survey initially placed the quake at magnitude 5.9 but revised it later to magnitude 5.8.
EQECAT notes that an increase of one magnitude of the quake, from a magnitude 6 to magnitude 7, would have increased the loss estimate to close to $2 billion.
The other two major catastrophe modelers, AIR and Risk Management Solutions, issued reports saying that there was minimal structural damage to buildings.
However, AIR says there could be “significant damage to the historical unreinforced masonry buildings in Virginia” that have limited ability to withstand earthquakes.
The epicenter of the earthquake was five miles south-southwest from Mineral, Va., and seven miles south-southeast from Louisa, Va.
The earthquake resulted in reports of minor injuries throughout Virginia, but no reports of fatalities.
The modelers noted that this is the largest earthquake to strike the region since a 5.9 earthquake struck Giles County in 1897.
The Richmond Times-Dispatch says the Louisa High School in Louisa County suffered some damage from the quake along with injuries to six students and a teacher who was hospitalized.
Two nuclear power stations were temporarily taken off line and several major airports shut down briefly because of the quake.
In Washington, D.C., people evacuated offices and left work early because of the earthquake.
The spires on the National Cathedral were damaged and there were reports that the top of the Washington monument was damaged.
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