An earthquake rattled the Northeastern United States on Friday morning.
According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the 4.8 magnitude quake was centered near Lebanon, N.J., west of New York City, at a depth of 1 kilometer.
Ground stops were issued at numerous airports including Newark, JFK and BWI Airport in Maryland, and it could be felt as far as south as Philadelphia and as far north as Boston. New Jersey Transit said rail service was subjected to 20-minute delays in both directions “due to bridge inspections” following the earthquake.
What people felt
Many New York City residents took to social media to report feeling their apartments shaking.
Did we just have an earthquake?! NYC
— Jessica Chastain (@jes_chastain) April 5, 2024
“That was my 2nd Manhattan earthquake & longer than any earthquake I’ve experienced in LA,” MSNBC host Lawrence O’Donnell wrote on X.
There were no initial reports of damage, the city’s fire department said.
I AM FINE
— Empire State Building (@EmpireStateBldg) April 5, 2024
What officials are saying
New York City Mayor Eric Adams’s office said that the mayor was being briefed on the earthquake and while there were no reports of “major impacts at this time, we’re still assessing the impact.”
The city sent an emergency alert at 11:02 a.m. — about 40 after the earthquake struck.
“A 4.8 magnitude earthquake hit west of Manhattan and has been felt throughout New York,” New York Gov. Kathy Hochul wrote on X. “My team is assessing impacts and any damage that may have occurred, and we will update the public throughout the day.”
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said that his office activated the state’s emergency operations center to assess any potential damage.
“Please do not call 911 unless you have an actual emergency,” Murphy added.
How common are earthquakes in the northeast?
“Earthquakes are uncommon but not unheard of along the Atlantic Coast,” the U.S. Geographical Survey explained in a post on X.
Earthquakes are uncommon but not unheard of along the Atlantic Coast, a zone one study called a "passive-aggressive margin" b/c there's no active plate boundary between the Atlantic & N. American plates, but there are stresses. Did you feel the NJ quake? https://t.co/ADcDLsTp8b
— USGS Earthquakes (@USGS_Quakes) April 5, 2024
