After a magnitude 5.8 earthquake struck the Washington area, residents and structures were shaken. The quake, at one point upgraded to a magnitude of 5.9, even caused damage to the Washington National Cathedral, sending one of its spires tumbling. (Edited by Jason Aldag/The Washington Post)
The U.S. Park Police used a helicopter to take close-up photos of minor damage that the Washington Monument sustained during Tuesday's earthquake.
A helicopter circled the landmark several times Tuesday afternoon several hours after the 5.8 magnitude quake struck in Virginia.
Rumors circulated on Twitter (and even on Fox News) that the monument was leaning, but a spokesman told TPM that the landmark only sustained very minor damage. He said that tourists in the structure at the time of the quake were safely evacuated when it ended.
[Late update: the National Park Service has announced that the Monument will be closed indefinitely because they found cracks towards the top of the structure.]
Video and photos of the helicopter circling the monument are below.
