EARTHQUAKE

New Video From Inside the Washington Monument During Earthquake

Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

WASHINGTON, DC - AUGUST 23: A helicopter flies closely to the Washington Monument to survey its exterior for damage after a 5.8 magnitude earthquake struck the east coast August 23, 2011 in Washington, DC. Police officers said that unidentified material had fallen off the Washington Monument as a result of the earthquake. All the monuments and buildings along the National Mall have been evacuated and closed. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

By Theresa Poulson and Kenneth Chamberlain

Updated: September 27, 2011 | 7:46 a.m.
September 26, 2011 | 5:53 p.m.

For anyone, an earthquake can be a scary experience -- and probably more so if you are more than 500 feet above the ground inside a stone obelisk. The National Park Service released video on Monday of scenes from inside the top of the Washington Monument during the Aug. 23 earthquake, which was centered 84 miles to the south but was felt up and down the Eastern Seaboard. The videos have no audio.

The Park Service is still determining the extent of damage to the monument after the quake, which measured 5.8 on the Richter scale, and how much it will cost, according to the Washington Post. The agency is also trying to determine when the monument can reopen; it has been closed since the quake.