There are many areas of the world that consistently face earthquakes on a regular basis. Think about the wreckage in California that happens at least a few times a year. Lest we not forget the earthquake that devastated the country of Haiti a few years ago. Sometimes earthquakes happen where we least expect them to – for instance, one such natural disaster occurred in Virginia only a month ago. Maybe the damage was not even on par with the destruction seen in other areas, but some structures faced some damage.

A story from ABC 7 discusses the damage caused by the earthquake in reference to the National Cathedral:

“Structural engineers and stone masons toured the National Cathedral Wednesday to assess the damage from yesterday’s historic earthquake. The 5.8 trembler shook several of the finials off the central tower of the century old gothic church. While a small amount of debris fell to the ground 30 stories below, much of it was contained on the roof of the tower.”

The effects of the quake were also felt by the cathedral’s spires, which twisted and shifted, according to the report. The cathedral, which is primarily made from stone, was effectively rendered useless in the face of the minor quake, leaving officials to consider the amount of work needed to restore elements:

“Cathedral Mason Joseph Alonso said there is a “massive amount of work” to be done to fix this damage. The majority of the damage is to several of the decorative finials that are on the Cathedral’s central tower. Some of them are 50 years old. The Cathedral’s mason says it will take years and millions of dollars to make the building whole again. The damage isn’t covered by insurance.”

Obviously, most readers of this blog don’t have to worry about stone finials falling from their homes, but this story should serve as a reminder to secure all of your outdoor décor pieces, especially if you know a storm is coming. No one is at fault for the losses of finials from the National Cathedral because you can’t predict when a surprise earthquake will hit, but make sure that you take as much care of your décor when you can!