WASHINGTON—Damage to the Washington National Cathedral caused by the earthquake that struck the U.S. East Coast is not covered by the cathedral's insurance, officials said Wednesday.
The cathedral will remain closed to the public through Saturday as engineers assess damage to the building, which has been estimated in the millions of dollars, Samuel T. Lloyd III, dean at the National Cathedral, said in a Wednesday statement.
Tuesday's 5.8 magnitude earthquake caused the greatest damage to pinnacles on the central towers, where three fleurs-de-lis-shaped capstones fell.
In addition, smaller spires and sculptures appeared to have been cracked by the temblor, according to the statement.
As the cathedral's insurance policy does not cover earthquake damage, officials sought donations to raise the millions of dollars needed to repair the structure, according to the National Cathedral's website.
“Help from the countless Americans who helped build the cathedral in the first place will make it whole again,” Mr. Lloyd said at a press conference.
MINERAL, Va.—Insured losses from Tuesday's earthquake, which rattled the East Coast, should total less than $100 million, catastrophe modeler EQECAT Inc. said.