Earthquake caused minimal structural damage in FXCO

Tuesday’s earthquake caused structural damage to an apartment building in Dunn Loring, forcing the evacuation of seven people from four units. All were provided emergency housing in the same complex, reports Renee Stillwell of the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department.

Other than that, “there were no major issues,” Stillwell says. During the four-hour period after the 5.8 magnitude earthquake struck at about 1:50 p.m., county firefighters responded to 305 fire and EMS events, mostly from people who were distressed or smelled gas.

Earthquake damage caused a crack in the emergency room floor at Fairfax Inova Hospital, reports Jason Branham, a firefighter with the Dun Loring Volunteer Fire and Rescue Department. That station received 1,200 to 1,300 calls during the day of the earthquake, he says.

“We don’t make determinations of structural problems; building inspectors do that,” Stillwell says.

Inspectors from the facilities department of Fairfax County Public Schools reported “no structural damage to any schools,” says FCPS spokesperson Mary Shaw.

Do you know of any homes of businesses damaged in the earthquake? Let us know.