East Coast Earthquake 2011: One Year Anniversary Of Mineral, VA Quake (PHOTOS)

On August 23, 2011, the East Coast was hit with a 5.8 magnitude earthquake at 1:51 pm. The epicenter of the quake was about five miles south of Mineral, Virginia, but the shocks could be felt from Georgia to Canada.

The earthquake caused relatively minimal damage. No deaths were reported, and the only known injuries were minor. Monetarily, the damage was considerably light as well. Although very few people on the East Coast have earthquake insurance (only 5%, by the Washington Post’s assessment), catastrophe risk modelling firm EQUECAT estimated damages from the quake cost less than $100 million.

In fact, some social media users took to Twitter just minutes after the earthquake making light of the event. Once it became clear that there were no deaths or serious damage, memes and jokes surrounding the quake went viral.

That is not to say the event had little impact on East Coast life. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, this was the most intense earthquake since Virginia’s 5.9 magnitude quake in 1897. Important historical sites, such as the Washington National Cathedral and the National Monument, sustained damages. The monument will cost $15 million to repair and probably won't be done until 2014, says USAToday.

Below is a look back at the 2011 East Coast earthquake. Whether you were in New York or Virginia, Georgia or Quebec, that day might still stand out in your mind. Was this your first earthquake? If not, do you remember what your first one was like? Tweet with the hashtag #MyFirstEarthquake to share your experience.