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D.C. Public Schools Closed Today For Inspections After Earthquake

By: Kavitha Cardoza // August 24, 2011
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D.C. Public Schools decided to close all schools early this morning in order to allow for a comprehensive structural inspection after Tuesday's 5.8 magnitude earthquake centered in Virginia.
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D.C. Public Schools decided to close all schools early this morning in order to allow for a comprehensive structural inspection after Tuesday's 5.8 magnitude earthquake centered in Virginia.

D.C.'s public schools will be closed today as school personnel assess the damage in each of the 126 buildings.

Courtez Cole was at home with his son when he felt the earth move.

"At first I thought it might have been an explosion under the ground but I didn't hear nothing," Cole says. "So my next conclusion was an earthquake. It just came from nowhere. It scared us."

It scared his 7-year-old daughter Courtney as well. Cole cycled to her school and found her and her classmates crying.

"The ground shakes and it shakes us," says Courtney.

Two children -- one at Deal Middle School in Northwest and one at Kelly Miller Middle School in Northeast -- had minor injuries. Students and staff at all DCPS schools will have the day off today, but employees at the central office are expected to be in at their regular start time and custodial staff should be on standby.

Preliminary inspections found several schools had plaster and ceiling tiles fall down after the earthquake yesterday. Structural engineers will continue to inspect schools today.

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