How damaged is Washington Monument? Officials to provide details

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A news conference Monday is expected to reveal the extent of damage the Washington Monument suffered when a magnitude 5.8 earthquake rocked the East Coast in August.

The Aug. 23 earthquake was centered just outside Mineral, Va., and was felt from the Carolinas to Boston and beyond. The Washington Monument has been closed since then, although the grounds continue to be open to tourists.

Preliminary inspections found the monument to be structurally sound, but cracks were found near the top of the monument, which is both the world’s tallest stone structure and the world’s tallest obelisk, standing just over 555 feet.

National Park Service spokeswoman Carol Johnson said the scheduled 2:30 p.m. EDT news conference in Washington would detail the extent of damage to the landmark as well as repair plans.

The earthquake also damaged the National Cathedral, although it remains structurally sound, officials said. Several spires and decorative elements on the architecturally significant edifice were either damaged or snapped off, but plans for repairs are underway.

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-- Rene Lynch
Twitter.com/renelynch