CITY SHAKES
New York City rocked by 4.8 magnitude earthquake in New Jersey with tremors felt across three states
Friday was NYC's second earthquake in 2024
NEW York City has been rocked by a 4.8 magnitude earthquake.
New Yorkers took to , formerly Twitter, at around 10:30 am on Friday to report their buildings were rattled by a quake.
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The quake was reportedly felt across seven other states, including , , , , , , and .
The epicenter was reported in Whitehouse Station, New Jersey, about an hour west of the Big Apple, at 10:23 am, according to the .
The tremor was the strongest earthquake to emerge from New Jersey in nearly 250 years, in 1783, according to the .
New York Governor Kathy Hochul said her team is assessing any potential damages.
"A 4.8 magnitude earthquake hit west of Manhattan and has been felt throughout New York," Hochul said.
New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority said there had been no impact on its service but that teams will be inspecting train lines.
Many incoming flights at the three major airports in and outside of New York City were being temporarily diverted from landing because of the quake, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
The groundstop was lifted about an hour after the tremor struck.
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The Empire State Building also shared an update on its structure's status, writing on an , "I AM FINE."
The New York Fire Department has not reported any structure damage.
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New York City Mayor Eric Adams' office said there were no major impacts from the quake on the city.
An aftershock with a magnitude of 2.0 occurred at about 11:20 am near Bedminster, New Jersey, according to the US Geological Survey.
New York City added earthquake safety provisions to its building code in 1995.
However, most of the city's roughly 1 million buildings were built before then, according to .
Many of those structures are considered vulnerable to earthquakes, according to the city's hazard mitigation plan.
A 5.0-magnitude earthquake was measured in New York City on August 10, 1884.
'HOLY F**K'
A resident on Long Island took to X and shared her experience, saying, "Holy f**k. I just survived an earthquake.
"I was sleeping, my house started rocking & the bed, I jumped up saw the walls rocking heard the rumbling. I’ve never in my life experienced anything like it. Now Im concerned about this Eclipse. Holy s**t."
A second New York resident shared, "Yo felt my first Earthquake …that was crazy…nerves were messed up but all is good…that was absolutely crazy."
Another New Jersey resident shared dramatic surveillance footage from their home in Lebanon that captured the rattling.
The video showed the camera shaking around for about seven seconds before everything returned to normal.
"Felt like a train going through my house," the X user said.
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TREMOR HORROR
Earthquakes on the East Coast are rare occurrences, but Friday's earthquake was the second to strike the New York metro area this year.
New York's Roosevelt Island was awakened by a 1.7-magnitude tremor in the early hours of January 2.
Residents on the island between the boroughs of Manhattan and Queens reported power outages and sounds of an explosion.
"It was like an explosion, sounded like a bomb went off," a resident told local ABC affiliate at the time.
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"The building shook, it woke us up. We called downstairs, and they said it happened to all four buildings."
No injuries or structural damage to buildings were reported during that tremor.
How prepared is NYC for an earthquake?
A 4.8-magnitude tremor rattled the Big Apple on the morning of April 5, 2024, leaving New Yorkers concerned how well prepared Gotham is for an earthquake.
Earthquakes on the East Coast are rare, and New York City would be ill-equipped if a 7-magnitude or larger tremor were to strike.
- NYC added earthquake safety provisions to its buildings as late as 1995.
- But, most of the city's roughly 1 million buildings were built before the rules were implemented.
- Many of the buildings are considered vulnerable to earthquakes.
- According to the city's Hazard Mitigation Plan, "any potential damage here could be catastrophic due to the density and age of buildings and the interdependencies of complex layers of infrastructure."
- The city has taken steps over the years to improve its resilience to earthquakes, requiring new buildings to be constructed to modern seismic standards to withstand the impact of earthquakes to minimize risk.
What is the likelihood of a large earthquake striking New York City?
- NYC has experienced its fair share of tremors, most recently on January 2, 2024, when a 1.7-magnitude quake shook parts of Queens and Roosevelt Island on the city's East River.
- The largest earthquake ever recorded in the Big Apple's history came on August 10, 1884, when a 5.2-magnitude hit the city.
- That tremor is believed to have originated somewhere between Brooklyn and Sandy Hook, New Jersey.
- If a similar 1884 quake were to happen today, the damage to people and infrastructure would be more severe due to the amount of building development that’s happened along the Hudson and in New York City since, according to NYC Emergency Management.
- However, experts believe it is unlikely a large earthquake could hit NYC because of how rare they are.
- Geophysicist researcher Thomas Pratt previously told that he does not expect the eastern US to ever experience a magnitude 8 or 9 earthquake.
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