NC checks government buildings after East Coast quake

Perdue on Wednesday called the building review cursory and said it would focus on areas that may have been affected by the earthquake centered in Virginia. The quake was felt in North Carolina from the mountains to the coast, but there were no reports of damage or injuries.

The governor says the review is a good safety precaution.

Jill Lucas, spokeswoman for the state Department of Administration, said visual inspections of the Capitol complex found no structural damage.

Inspections found cracks in plaster in the Cooper Building and the Jenkins House, but Lucas said they could have been there unnoticed for some length of time. A state parking deck walkway that’s been closed off for some time also had some bits of caulking compound on the floor, she said.

Officials asked managers at other buildings outside the Capitol complex to let them know about any damage they see, but none had been reported by Wednesday afternoon, Lucas said.

Perdue said she didn't know of any problems from the quake associated with the aging Bonner Bridge in Dare County, the only road connecting Hatteras Island and the mainland. The bridge is a key evacuation route as Hurricane Irene approaches.