Historic Earthquake in D.C. Results in Historic Senate Session

Just before 2 p.m. ET Tuesday, a 5.8 magnitude earthquake with an epicenter in central Virginia rocked the East Coast. It was felt strongly in Washington, D.C., and the Capitol, among many other buildings, was evacuated. The U.S. Senate had planned on holding a pro-forma session that same afternoon. The quake made history as one of the strongest ever experienced in the region.

The Senate convened in a conference room at Postal Square, a building about two blocks from the Capitol itself. While the session lasted a mere 22 seconds, The Associated Press reports it was an official, non-ceremonial session -- and it made history. The session is part of an agreement between Republican and Democratic senators to prevent the Obama administration from making recess appointments to fill government vacancies.

Katherine Scott, Ph.D., assistant historian in the U.S. Senate Historical Office, told me in an e-mail exchange that this was the first time the Senate had met outside its chamber since 1814 for a routine session. The Senate last met for a ceremonial session outside of the Capitol Sept. 6, 2002, as part of a joint session of Congress in New York City's Federal Hall for a one-year memorial of the 9/11 attacks.

On Aug. 24 1814, the British captured and burned Washington. A sudden rainstorm prevented the complete loss of the Capitol building but Congress had to find other quarters for several years. Final work on the building was competed in 1826.

Eva Malecki, communications officer for the Architect of the Capitol, said this morning that things were "business as usual" in the buildings the office manages. The Capitol had sustained some cosmetic damage from the earthquake, such as chipped paint and plaster cracks. Those were nearly all repaired by Tuesday evening. Such repairs are a daily part of the maintenance of the building, Malecki said, and were not an issue.