4.8 Magnitude Earthquake Rocks New York City and US East Coast

Rare Earthquake Shakes New York City Area.

On Friday morning, a surprising earthquake jolted the densely populated New York City metropolitan area, according to the US Geological Survey. This is an unusual occurrence for the region, leaving residents feeling the rumble along the eastern seaboard.

The government agency reported a preliminary magnitude of 4.8 for the quake, locating the epicenter near Lebanon, New Jersey. Later assessments placed it near Tewksbury and Whitehouse Station, all within about a 10-mile radius in Hunterdon County.

People felt the tremors in Connecticut and Massachusetts, and reports indicate it was noticeable even in Boston. Residents in Philadelphia also reported feeling the quake. The effects were felt for several seconds more than 200 miles away, near the New Hampshire border.

No Damage Reported After NYC Earthquake

The New York City fire department confirmed on Friday that there wasn’t any initial damage or injuries from the quake. However, city folks were definitely surprised and a bit shaken by the unexpected shake-up. Those sitting in offices or chilling at home in skyscrapers felt their whole building sway gently for a few seconds.

Camille Lewis was chilling at a café in NYC when the tremors hit. She said, “I’ve never experienced an earthquake in New York, and honestly, I got a bit scared. I’m just relieved that the building held up and everyone is safe.” She added, “I was like, ‘Should I duck under the table?’ Everyone was looking around, trying to figure out what was happening. It lasted for a bit. Super weird.”

After the shaking stopped, people were still a bit jittery, worrying about aftershocks. They were also busy texting and calling friends and family, even checking on their kids at school. This sudden surge in phone activity put a strain on the cellphone networks, city officials reported.

NYC Police Deputy Commish, Kaz Daughtry, stated, “Nothing major to report yet, still checking things out.”

Earthquake during session on Gaza at UNSC

Meanwhile, the UN Security Council was in session at their NYC HQ discussing Gaza when the quake hit, giving everyone a surprise shake.

Mayor Eric Adams said, “Carry on with your day as usual,” but Governor Kathy Hochul mentioned in a press briefing that the quake was felt all the way to Baltimore, Maryland. “This is one of the biggest quakes the east coast has seen in a century,” she noted.

“Stay cautious,” she added, “just in case of any aftershocks.”

Planes became stuck on the tarmac at JFK and Newark airports, causing delays for incoming flights. Train services along the East Coast slowed down a bit, but luckily, authorities didn’t cancel them. New York City’s public transit kept chugging along.

Hochul’s office gave a heads up, saying, “Yeah, it’s pretty unusual, but earthquakes aren’t unheard of here in New York. We’re on some fault lines, after all.” People felt the tremors across New England and even down into Pennsylvania and Maryland, including Baltimore. Where Joe Biden was scheduled to inspect a collapsed bridge that had blocked the port just 10 days earlier.

The shaking brought back memories of the August 23, 2011, earthquake that rattled folks from Georgia all the way up to Canada. It was a 5.8 on the Richter scale, the strongest quake the East Coast had felt since World War II, with its epicenter in Virginia.

Mayor Lebanon

James Pittinger, the mayor of Lebanon, New Jersey, near where the earthquake hit. He stated that there were no injuries or significant damage reported, but people were definitely spooked. He said, “I was just chilling in my home office when stuff started tumbling off my walls and shelves. It was wild.”

Unlike out West, where earthquakes are kind of expected, ones in the East tend to shake up a much wider area. That’s because the rocks here are older and tougher, so they pass along the shaking more easily. Out West, the rocks are younger and full of faults, which soak up some of the earthquake energy.

The quake didn’t come from too deep, just less than 3 miles underground, according to the USGS.