Inspectors work inside the Washington Monument in Washington, DC
Inspectors work inside the Washington Monument in Washington, DC, in this handout taken and released on August 24, 2011. The earthquake that shook much of the East Coast cracked one of the stones at the top of the monument, a National Park Service spokesman said. REUTERS/National Park Service

The National Park Service has released videos of the shaking Washington Monument during the 5.8-magnitude earthquake on Aug. 23.

The security camera videos, recorded from three different camera angles, show tourists panicking as pieces of the monument toppled down from the structure.

The earthquake was centered 84 miles southwest of D.C. in Mineral, Va., but the damage caused by the quake was enough to force the authorities to close the monument Monday.

Four stones near the top of the 555-foot monument were cracked during the earthquake, which was followed by the Hurricane Irene lashing the monument with strong winds and heavy downpour.

National Park Service officials said at a press conference Monday that preliminary inspection had been completed on the monument's interior. To check for any possible external damage, engineers will begin rappelling down all four faces of the Washington Monument Tuesday, NBC Washington reported.

Watch the videos below:

Earthquake Quake CAMERA Earthquake