An earthquake shook the northeastern United States on Friday morning β and a powerful aftershock struck early in the evening, about eight hours later.
According to the US Geological Survey, the initial magnitude 4.8 earthquake was centered 7 kilometers north of Whitehouse Station, NJ, about 50 miles west of New York, at a depth of 4.7 kilometers. It could be felt as far south as Washington, DC and as far north as Boston.
The USGS mentionted the aftershock, which was felt shortly after 6 p.m. ET, was magnitude 4.0 and centered near Gladstone, NJ
π¨ Which services were affected?
Ground stops were issued at several airports, including Newark, JFK and Baltimore/Washington (in Maryland), while crews assessed any possible structural damage. New Jersey Transit said rail service was experiencing delays of up to 20 minutes in both directions “due to bridge inspectionsβafter the earthquake.
However, there were no disruptions to Amtrak service or the New York City subway.
𫨠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
β Jessica Chastain (@jes_chastain) April 5, 2024
CBS News anchor Anne-Marie Green said it “felt like a subway train going through the studio.”
“This was my 2nd earthquake in Manhattan and bigger than any earthquake I've experienced in Los Angeles,” MSNBC anchor Lawrence O'Donnell wrote to X.
I'M FINE
β Empire State Building (@EmpireStateBldg) April 5, 2024
π’ What do the people in charge say?
The White House said President Biden was informed of the earthquake and that the administration was in contact with federal, state and local officials.
At a news conference, New York City Mayor Eric Adams said there were no reports of damage and that his team was still assessing the impact. The chance of aftershocks is low, Adams said, but New Yorkers should remain alert and take safety precautions.
“We are ready for the unexpected,” added the mayor. “This is New York.”
The city sent out an emergency alert at 11:02 a.m. β about 40 minutes after the earthquake. A second alert warned New Yorkers of possible aftershocks.
In an earlier update, New York Gov. Kathy Hotchul said her team was continuing to assess critical infrastructure, including roads and bridges, for possible damage.
Hochul said she had been in contact with the White House and that a spokesman for the US Department of Homeland Security who had contacted her said he felt he had the earthquake in Baltimore.
“It's been a pretty worrisome day, to say the least,” Hochul said.
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said his office had activated the state's emergency center to assess any potential damage.
“Please do not call 911 unless you have a true emergency,” Murphy added.
Speaking to reporters as he left the White House en route to Baltimore to meet with first responders and families of victims of last week's bridge collapse, Biden said he had spoken with Murphy about the earthquake.
“He believes everything is under control,” Biden said. “He's not too worried about it, the governor of New Jersey, so things are fine.”
π How common are earthquakes in the Northeast?
“Earthquakes are unusual but not unheard of along the Atlantic coast,” the US Geological Survey explained in a post on X.
Earthquakes are uncommon but not unheard of along the Atlantic coast, a zone study calls the “passive-aggressive margin” b/c. Did you feel the NJ earthquake? https://t.co/ADcDLsTp8b
β USGS Quakes (@USGS_Quakes) April 5, 2024
According to the Geological Survey, Friday's 4.8-magnitude earthquake was the strongest to hit New Jersey in nearly 250 years.
But Scott Brandenberg, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at the UCLA Samueli School of Engineering, he told Yahoo News that Friday's earthquake is probably not indicative that long-term seismic activity is on the rise in the region.
The quake came two days after a 7.4-magnitude quake in Taiwan that left at least nine dead, nearly 1,000 injured and hundreds more stranded.