Earthquake shakes region; buildings evacuated
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Pittsburgh firefighters from the Brighton Heights station cordon off an area next to 3532 California Ave. after an earthquake caused bricks to fall off of the structure. -
People stand on the pedestrian walkway over the Boulevard of the Allies after an earthquake in Virginia was felt in Pittsburgh. -
Bridget Spitznagel, a Google software engineer, kept busy knitting socks as she and others from Google and other companies waited outside Bakery Square offices in East Liberty after the earthquake.
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An earthquake centered in Virginia was felt in the Pittsburgh region just before 2 p.m. today, leading to evacuations here and around the East Coast.
The U.S. Geological Survey reported that the magnitude 5.8 quake occurred 3.7 miles underground at 1:51 p.m. near Richmond. It was felt shortly afterward in Pittsburgh.
The tremor prompted a series of evacuations, some mandatory and some voluntary.
The Art Institute of Pittsburgh's students were evacuated and were gathered outside the building on the Boulevard of the Allies.
Point Park University also was being evacuated.
Workers from the glass-encased PPG headquarters were gathering in the outdoor plaza.
The Allegheny County 911 center was getting swamped with calls but said it had no early reports of earthquake damage.
At the Steelers offices on the South Side, many of the front-office employees felt the two-story building shake, thinking it might have been a passing train. Some left the building and stood outside in the parking lot. At the time, the players were practicing outside in the back of the building.
Most players found out about the earthquake as they came off the field.
"There was an earthquake?" asked Ramon Foster, an offensive lineman.
Steelers safety Troy Polamalu, who was born in California and played football at Southern Cal, said he's been through a few earthquakes on the West Coast but did not feel this one.
"I'm pretty accustomed to these types of things," Polamalu said. "If it would snow in California, it would be a pretty big deal, you know!"
Anita Bandy was inside her home on California Avenue in Brighton Heights talking on the phone when "all the sudden the whole building was shaking. I come to find out the bricks were falling from the chimneys."
She told her friend, "I think we've had an earthquake," and rushed outside. She saw neighbors running, some of them pointing toward the sky. The old apartment house where she lives was shedding bricks.
Firefighters arrived after her 911 call and confirmed her quake suspicions.
First Published August 23, 2011 2:01 pm
