Employees flood streets after quake

Just minutes after a 5.8 magnitude earthquake shook the East Coast, downtown Washington turned chaotic as fire alarms blared and employees streamed out of buildings and onto sidewalks and streets. Cell phone service failed soon afterward as carriers became overwhelmed as seemingly everyone tried calling friends and family to see if they were OK and if they felt the tremors. It was the first time service had failed since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks nearly 10 years ago.

Karen White, who works in a downtown law firm, said she was reminded of when she worked near the Pentagon when it was attacked on Sept. 11, 2001.