In New York, where tremors were felt for more than 30 seconds, there were no immediate reports of injuries or damage, but the quake caused many delays and temporary shutdowns of transportation infrastructure in the area.
The epicenter was located about 45 miles west of New York City and 40 miles east of Allentown, Pennsylvania, in an area north of Whitehouse Station in New Jersey, according to the USGS.
In this photo, an emergency alert from the National Emergency Broadcasting System is shown warning of an earthquake in the area on April 5, 2024 in New York.
David Dee Delgado | News Getty Images | Getty Images
Earthquakes of Friday's size are relatively rare in the northeastern US, and the intensity and duration of Friday's quake startled people across the region. The quake was the third largest recorded around the New York metropolitan area in nearly 75 years.
“Everyone at @NYSE gave each other a big look,” CNBC's Carl Quintanilla tweeted from the New York Stock Exchange in Lower Manhattan after the tremors.
“I'M FINE,” tweeted the Empire State Building's X social media account.
The National Tsunami Warning Center said there was no tsunami threat on the east coast after the quake.
A magnitude 2 aftershock occurred at 11:20 am. ET in northern New Jersey.
The USGS said there is a 46 percent chance of another earthquake of magnitude 3.0 or greater next week.
The Federal Aviation Administration inspected runways at the three major airports in New York and Newark, New Jersey. The agency briefly halted departures there and from 12:40 p.m. ET, the stop at Newark Liberty International Airport was lifted, but flights were delayed about an hour.
United Airlines, which dominates Newark Airport, said in a statement that two United flights were diverted from Newark due to the ground stop there and there were some minor delays on flights to JFK and LaGuardia airports in New York.
The carrier offered travelers booked to fly the chance to change their flights to Newark, LaGuardia or Philadelphia without paying a fee or fare difference if they can travel until late next Thursday.
People wait outside after a magnitude 4.8 earthquake struck the northeastern US states of New Jersey and New York, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), in the United States on April 05, 2024.
Fatih Aktas Anadolu | Getty Images
New Jersey Transit said its commuter rail service is subject to delays of up to 20 minutes across the system.
The Port Authority for New York and New Jersey, which operates the Hudson River crossings, said the Holland Tunnel connecting lower Manhattan to New Jersey was temporarily closed for a traffic inspection.
New York Gov. Kathy Hotchul tweeted: “My team is assessing the impact and any damage that may have occurred and will be updating the public throughout the day.”
President Joe Biden later on Friday said he had spoken with New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, “who thinks everything is under control.”
“He's not too worried about it,” Biden said. “So things are all right.”
New York City's emergency services sent out an alert to cell phones around 11:46 a.m. ET warning that “aftershocks may be felt,” but added, “NY people can resume normal activities.”
