State buildings unhurt by quake

Gov. Bev Perdue said this morning state officials were conducting "cursory examinations" of state buildings after an 5.8 earthquake in Virginia rattled windows and nerves in Raleigh Tuesday.

There were no immediate signs of damage from the quake, but Perdue's office said building managers were asked to conduct a visual check this morning, just to make sure.

NC Dept. of Administration spokeswoman Jill Lucas said inspections of the Capitol Complex this morning were uneventful. "We are very happy to report there's no serious damage in the state complex." 

Lucas said there were three reports of minor damage that may or may not have been caused by the quake.  Inspectors found cracks in plaster in the Cooper Building and the Jenkins House, but couldn't say whether the cracks happened yesterday.  And some caulking compound was found on the floor of a parking deck walkway that's been closed to public access for a long time.

Lucas said none of the three indicated any structural damage. "It's all cosmetic stuff."

According to Lucas, the department has also asked state facilities outside Raleigh to report any damage the quake may have caused. So far, none has been reported.