Pretty terrifying security cam footage released by the National Parks Service yesterday of panicked tourists at the top of the Washington Monument scrambling down the stairs when the earthquake hit. The shaking goes on for a LONG time. Yikes. Hats off to to the ranger for remaining at her post until the last tourist was down the stairs.
RELATED: The National Park Service announced Monday that experts have completed an interior assessment of the monument and found it to be structurally sound. “The heaviest damage appears to be concentrated at the very top of the monument, in what is called the pyramidion, where large cracks of up to 1 1/4 inch wide developed through stone and mortar joints,” said Bob Vogel, superintendent of the National Mall and Memorial Parks. Daylight is visible through some of the cracks, and a substantial amount of rain water has gotten into the monument, which could cause further damage. MORE