2012 Best Practices for Government Libraries

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BEST PRACTICES 2012
Park Ranger Speaker Series: The Washington Monument and the East
Coast Earthquake
On the afternoon of August 23, 2011, a magnitude 5.8
earthquake struck central Virginia, sending tremors up
and down the east coast. Approximately 83 miles from
the epicenter of the quake, Washington, DC was the first
major city to feel its impact. At the top of the
Washington Monument, visitors who had come to take in
the spectacular views of the city were shaken as small
fragments from the walls and ceiling starting coming
down. Not knowing exactly what was happening, a
brave Park Ranger named Nikolette Williams guided the
tourists at the top of the Monument down the stairwell to
safety. Video of the evacuation of the top of the
Monument, as taken from security cameras, was widely
shown on national news broadcasts.
Please join Park Ranger Nikolette Williams as she
recounts her experiences on that fateful day at the
Washington Monument. In addition to retelling the story
of the evacuation of the top of the Monument, she will
also talk a little about the Monument’s history and the
damage that resulted from the East Coast Earthquake of
2011.