Massive 4.8 Earthquake Hits New York
A strong earthquake rattled New York City and the surrounding area Friday morning.
It happened at approximately 10:20 a.m.
The quake – which the USGS has said was either 4.7 or 4.8 – was centered near Whitehouse Station, New Jersey, 40 miles west of New York City, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
So far, there have been no reports of damage.
The impact was felt throughout the Tri-State Area, including upstate in Syracuse, as well as in Philadelphia and as far away as Baltimore. Reports of buildings shaking and rattling came in from New Jersey to Long Island.
Gov. Phil Murphy said New Jersey has activated its Emergency Operations Center, and urged residents to not call 911 unless they are experiencing an actual emergency.
The MTA said is inspecting all New York City-area bridges and tunnels. No damage has been reported at this point.
“I was laying in my bed, and my whole apartment building started shaking. I started freaking out,” one New York City resident told CBS New York’s Elijah Westbrook.
Cracks in walls were visible in an apartment in Berkeley Heights, N.J.
It’s not the first time the East Coast and New York City have been hit with a quake. A 5.0 quake was measured in New York City in 1884.
There’s a major fault lin New Jersey called the Ramapo Fault, which stems from the Appalachian mountains, and there are at least five smaller fault lines under Manhattan island.
The quake comes just a few months after the USGS warned nearly 75% of the United States could face damaging quakes in the next 100 years.
In 2011, a 5.8 quake struck in Virginia and rattled the entire East Coast.
A 4.8 magnitude earthquake hit west of Manhattan and has been felt throughout New York.
My team is assessing impacts and any damage that may have occurred, and we will update the public throughout the day.
Kathy Hochul (Governor, State of New York)
Our region just experienced an earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 4.7, with an epicenter near Readington in Hunterdon County.
We have activated our State Emergency Operations Center. Please do not call 911 unless you have an actual emergency.
Phil Murphy[i] (Governor, State of New Jersey)
A 4.8 magnitude earthquake hit New Jersey and was felt in parts of Pennsylvania.
My team and @PEMAHQ are actively monitoring the situation and in contact with counties on any damage. We will keep Pennsylvanians updated.
Josh Shapiro (Governor, State of Pennsylvania)
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