Extent of damage to the Washington Monument to be revealed

Four cracks in the monument marble were first found after a earthquake rocked the nation's capital last month

Just how bad was the damage the Washington Monument suffered during the 5.8-magnitude earthquake that struck the East Coast on August 23?
National Park Service officials will hold a news conference Monday afternoon to offer details, including plans on reopening it to the public.
The service has been working with an engineering firm to determine the extent of the damage and what it will cost to fix it.
Small pools of standing water were found in the monument during inspections following Hurricane Irene, the National Park Service said in late August.
Earthquake shakes walls inside building
"What happened was a lot of mortar popped out, so much so that you can see sunlight above 450 feet in the monument," spokeswoman Carol Johnson said at the time.
The Washington Monument, built between 1848 and 1884, is 555 feet, 5 and one-eighth inches tall. Its walls are 15 feet thick at the base and 18 inches at the top, and are composed primarily of white marble blocks, according to the National Park Service.
Four cracks in the monument marble were first discovered after the earthquake rocked the nation's capital. The repairs will include pinning the stones together and replacing some mortar, Johnson said then.
"The engineers have assured us that the monument is structurally sound," Johnson said.