- NEW: Primary power is restored to the cooling systems at a nuclear plant
- Cracks are found at the top of the Washington Monument
- Lincoln and Jefferson memorials reopen
- School buildings are damaged in Louisa County, Virginia
Washington (CNN) -- Engineers will determine the best way to repair cracks on the Washington Monument Wednesday, a day after a 5.8-magnitude temblor hit the area.
The quake struck about 40 miles northwest of Richmond, Virginia, but it was felt from Georgia to northern New England.
The National Park Service said inspectors found cracking in the stones at the top of the Washington Monument.
No major injuries or extensive damage were reported, but the quake prompted evacuations of office buildings, the precautionary closing of monuments in the nation's capital and affected a nuclear power plant in Virginia.
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Senator on way to Capitol when quake hitMost federal buildings in Washington had reopened by late Tuesday afternoon, but officials were taking all precautions before giving the all-clear to some of its most iconic structures.
The U.S. Capitol was cleared for employees to come back to get their belongings, but inspectors asked people to limit their time inside the building while engineers continue to work around the complex.
The quake, which was recorded at 1:51 p.m., was shallow -- just 3.7 miles deep -- and located 88 miles southwest of Washington near the town of Mineral, Virginia.
With so many on the East Coast unaccustomed to earthquakes, many people were left wondering whether all that rumbling could have been caused by a truck, helicopter, an explosion or some other force.
Kate Duddy was in an office building elevator in Manhattan, alone, when the shaking started.
"I have never felt a quake before. It was scary having no idea what the cause was," she said. "I felt the vibrations and the elevator stopped for a period of about five minutes."
The earthquake triggered an automatic shutdown of a nuclear power plant less than 20 miles from the epicenter after it lost electricity.
Early Wednesday, Dominion Virginia Power said primary power has been restored to the cooling systems of two nuclear reactors that had been affected. The plant used back up diesel generators after power was lost, the company said.
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Gallery: Earthquake shakes East CoastDan Stoddard, senior vice president of nuclear operations for Dominion, said there was no damage to the spent fuel pool.
The plant vented steam, but there was no release of radioactive material, Louisa County spokeswoman Amanda Reidelbach told CNN.
The quake signaled "unusual events" at 12 other nuclear facilities across the East Coast and Michigan, U.S. authorities reported.
Relatively minor damage was reported in a few Virginia counties, including Louisa, nearest to the epicenter.
Several school buildings had damage, as did town hall buildings, Reidelbach said.
Desi Fleming, a resident of Mineral in Louisa County, said the quake arrived with a rumbling "that sounded like a train coming to a stop." It knocked down two chimneys on the converted 1900-vintage home that now houses her parcel-shipping business.
Tuesday's incident occurred in a known seismic zone in central Virginia, said Dave Russ of the U.S. Geological Survey. But the strength of the earthquake was a bit surprising.
A 5.9 event occurred in 1897 near Blacksburg, he said.
CNN's Vito Maggiolo, Chris Lawrence, Susan Candiotti, Dan Lothian, Joe Sutton, Jim Acosta, Larry Shaughnessy, Matt Smith, Sarah Aarthun, Carol Cratty, Phil Gast, Brian Todd, Dana Ford, Catherine Shoichet and Tom Watkins contributed to this report.
Source: http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/cnn_topstories/~3/CVFThKfXl4c/index.html
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