Damaged DC cathedral hosts earthquake drill event

WASHINGTON (AP) — The earthquake-damaged Washington National Cathedral is the setting for a presentation on preparedness as part of a national earthquake drill.

Experts from the U.S. Geological Survey and the Federal Emergency Management Agency are among the scheduled speakers Thursday at the cathedral. The event is associated with the Great ShakeOut earthquake drill scheduled for 10:16 a.m. local time.

This is the fourth annual ShakeOut drill. Anyone, anywhere can participate by dropping to the ground and taking cover under a table or desk. The drill is sponsored by a consortium of government agencies and the University of Southern California.

The cathedral sustained more than $20 million worth of damage to its pinnacles, buttresses and ceilings from a magnitude 5.8 earthquake in August 2011.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Federal News Network Logo
Log in to your WTOP account for notifications and alerts customized for you.

Sign up