Fairfax County firefighters evacuated 400 residents from one of three River Towers condo buildings Sunday afternoon Oct. 2 following reports there was structural damage and residents felt the building shake.

The evacuation took place around 1:30 p.m. Sunday.

Fire & Rescue said investigators confirmed 180 condos are damaged, of which 32 have severe damage and were deemed “uninhabitable.”

The shaking was caused by a column shifting several inches; cracks then formed in the walls and brick crumbled from the building’s exterior.

Aside from the 32 units with significant damage, most residents were allowed to return to their homes Sunday night.

Those families displaced by the damage went to a shelter temporarily but then relocated to stay with friends.

The building management company said they will bring a private accompany onsite to assess the damage and begin work to shore up the property.

For more information and safety tips, visit the Fairfax County Dept. of Fire & Rescue on Facebook @fairfaxcountyfirerescue or www.fairfaxcounty.gov/fr/, and the Fairfax County Office of Emergency Management at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/oem/.