List Details Violations Across Several Locations

Fifteen years ago, a rare 5.8 magnitude earthquake rattled the Washington, D.C., region and beyond on the afternoon of Aug. 23, 2011. The epicenter was near Mineral, Virginia, about 90 miles southwest of the District. The quake was felt across a large part of the eastern United States and into parts of Canada.

Michelle Basch, then a reporter and anchor, was driving her work SUV in Southwest D.C. when the shaking began. "Suddenly the vehicle starts to shake. It feels like it's jumping up and down, she said during breaking news coverage.

She turned a corner near L'Enfant Plaza and saw "a bunch of people running out of buildings and some of them were screaming. And then I knew something was very wrong. The quake prompted evacuations at numerous government buildings, from the U.S. Capitol to the Pentagon and the U.S. State Department.

No one died, but there was significant damage to multiple landmarks, including the Washington Monument and the National Cathedral. Repair and restoration work at the Cathedral has been ongoing. According to an Earthquake Restoration page on the church's website, the project is anticipated to be finished by 2029, though maintenance on such a building never really ceases. The Washington Monument spent nearly three years undergoing earthquake repairs and remained closed during that restoration process.