Nicolette Doesn T News Today : Breaking News, Live Updates & Top Stories | Vimarsana

It's slow going as she's helping an elderly visitor with bad knees. part way down she hears on her radio that a 5.8 magnitude earthquake has struck the washington area. until that moment, nicolette believes it's a terrorist attack. >> we work at the icons and our training revolves around attacks like that. that is the first thought that comes into your mind. >> it makes sense she doesn't consider an earthquake. this is the first large quake to hit the region in more than a century, but nicolette knows enough to realize the danger isn't over. >> i let out a sigh of relief initially but then i r...

Violently, it almost knocks the ranger off her feet. >> i'm terrified. i'm thinking, i don't know if i'm going to get to the bottom of this stairwell, i really think that there could be something that will knock the whole monument over. >> once she's opened the emergency door one flight down, nicolette knows she can't run down to the ground level. the ranger must always be the last one to leave. >> i'm standing at the emergency exit, debating this thought, looking at the stairwell as debris is coming down the stairs. i decide i have to go back up, but i'm going to run as fast as i possibly can...

>> it's 500 feet up and we have windows on all four sides. you can see very far into maryland, virginia, about 30, 35 miles at least. >> security camera footage from just before 2:00 p.m. shows nicolette on the observation level as high up in the monument as visitors can go. she's waiting to take a group of about 20 tourists down in the elevator. >> as i'm sitting there, the elevator actually starts to make noise. >> she realizes immediately something unusual is happening. >> i know the elevator's noises and these are loud banging sounds, then the walls of the elevator begin to vibrate. >> the...

Visitors. >> on august 23rd, 2011, she's assigned to the washington monument. >> it's 500 feet up and we have windows on all four sides. you can see very far into maryland, virginia, about 30, 35 miles at least. >> security camera footage from just before 2:00 p.m. shows nicolette on the observation level as high up in the monument as visitors can go. she's waiting to take a group of about 20 tourists down in the elevator. >> as i'm sitting there, the elevator actually starts to make noise. >> she realizes immediately something unusual is happening. >> i know the elevator's noises and these ar...

Miles at least. >> security camera footage from just before 2:00 p.m. shows nicolette on the observation level as high up in the monument as visitors can go. she's waiting to take a group of about 20 tourists down in the elevator. >> as i'm sitting there, the elevator actually starts to make noise. >> she realizes immediately something unusual is happening. >> i know the elevator's noises and these are loud banging sounds, then the walls of the elevator begin to vibrate. >> the monument begins to shake dramatically. nicolette doesn't know what is happening, but she knows staying on the observa...