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Historic earthquake rattles NJ and NYC, briefly stalling stunned region

Brittany Kriegstein

Bahar Ostadan

Jaclyn Jeffrey-Wilensky

and

Elizabeth Kim

Published Apr 5, 2024

Modified Apr 5, 2024

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Fatih Aktas/Anadolu via Getty Images

Brittany Kriegstein

Bahar Ostadan

Jaclyn Jeffrey-Wilensky

and

Elizabeth Kim

Published Apr 5, 2024

Modified Apr 5, 2024

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A 4.8-magnitude earthquake rattled the New York City region Friday morning, shaking homes and nerves as it reverberated from its northwest New Jersey epicenter and was felt as far away as Philadelphia and Boston.

The 10:23 a.m. quake, one of the biggest to ever hit the region, was followed by a 3.8-magnitude aftershock at 5:59 p.m., according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

The agency, which monitors seismic activity, reported that more aftershocks, while rare, could still occur. On Friday afternoon, it put the chances of a 3.0-or-greater aftershock at about 36% likely. By evening, the agency had raised that to a 78% chance, with a 16% chance of another 4.0-or-greater quake and a 2% chance of a 5.0-or-greater quake.

The morning quake lasted less than a minute, USGS said. Tremors were felt throughout New York City, as far north as Boston and as far south as Philadelphia, according to residents. The rumbling resulted in the brief closure of the Holland Tunnel, the grounding of flights at local airports and delays on NJ Transit as experts inspected infrastructure for damage. But within an hour New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, New York City Mayor Eric Adams and others were expressing relief that there were no signs of widespread damage, and scientists said the likelihood of serious aftershocks was slim.

An aftershock was felt around 6 p.m. Friday, though, in parts of New York and New Jersey. The USGS preliminarily said the aftershock measured 3.8 in magnitude. New York City and state officials said there were no reports of major damage as of 6:24 p.m.

The USGS placed the initial earthquake's epicenter in northwestern New Jersey. It said the level of quake is significant for the region but isn't considered severe.

What to do if you feel an aftershock

The USGS says to stay indoors and "drop cover and hold on." Move away from windows and heavy furniture.
If you're outside, find an open area and move away from buildings or tall structures that might fall.
If you're in your car, stay inside and try to safely move away from traffic.

“It just shook, it was loud,” said Tim Savage, an officer with the Lebanon Township Police Department– about 11 miles from Whitehouse Station, New Jersey, which the USGS preliminarily identified as the quake’s epicenter.

Savage said the quake was only briefly felt, and that there were no reports of damage or emergencies in the area.

Mitch Adelson, a cartographer at the USGS, said earthquakes are rare along the East Coast because the seismic activity that formed the mountains has long quieted down.

“There are still earthquake faults in that area, and the processes are still there, they’re just not as active,” he said.

The chances of severe aftershocks are slim, USGS scientists projected late Friday morning, but they put the odds of smaller aftershocks at about 46% in the next week. These forecasts tend to shift in the first 72 hours after an earthquake, officials added.

“New Yorkers should go about their normal day,” said Mayor Eric Adams during a press conference at the city’s Office of Emergency Management headquarters in downtown Brooklyn.

Officials instructed New Yorkers to report any damage they discover by calling 311.

Janno Lieber, the MTA chairman, said the subways and other transit services were uninterrupted by the earthquake.

New York City schools ran on a regular schedule, with a normal dismissal and no cancellations to afterschool programs, Schools Chancellor David Banks said.

“We asked the school staff and families to remain calm and to model that for all of our students,” he said.

Adams said he was at Gracie Mansion for a youth anti-gun summit but did not feel the earthquake.

Zach Iscol, the city’s emergency management commissioner, was pressed on why it took the city so long to issue wireless emergency alerts that are transmitted from cell towers.

The first alert went out at 10:47 a.m. — more than 20 minutes after the earthquake struck. That was followed by at least two more wireless alerts, according to City Hall.

The state sent its wireless emergency alert at 12:05 p.m.

Iscol said the city needed time to understand what had happened and to make sure they were putting out proper guidance for the public.

The FDNY said it responded to reports of “building shaking” around 10:30 a.m., but added no major incidents were immediately recorded.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said there were no reports of significant damage. Shortly after the earthquake hit, the state launched a review of its major infrastructure in the affected area, she said.

“We are taking this extremely seriously, and here’s why: There is always the possibility of aftershocks,” Hochul said. “We have not felt an earthquake of this magnitude, of this level since 2011.”

The USGS reported two small aftershocks later in the day, near the site of the initial quake but less than half its magnitude.

Both John F. Kennedy International Airport and Newark Liberty International Airport were under a temporary ground stop as of late Friday morning as a precaution, Hochul said, but were coming back online by 12:30 p.m. LaGuardia Airport was not put under the same hold because it had been renovated more recently and is designed to “meet higher standards,” said Kathryn Garcia, Hochul’s director of state operations.

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said there were no early reports of injuries or widespread damage but later in the day, 10 families evacuated three row homes in Newark near the city's Branch Brook Park because of structural damage after the quake, officials said. They included 25 adults and three children. Newark officials said they hadn't received any reports of injuries.

Workers at the decommissioned Indian Point Energy Center in Westchester said they felt the quake and initiated standard lockdown procedures, according to Patrick O'Brien, the government affairs director for the facility’s owner, Holtec International.

“The spent fuel pool and reactor cavities were designed for an earthquake a lot larger than this,” O’Brien said.

Millstone Power Station in Connecticut also implemented safety procedures but did not feel the earthquake.

“PSEG’s Salem and Hope Creek nuclear generating station control rooms have reported no seismic activity and normal operations are continuing,” said company spokesperson William Smith in an email.

City Hall and 1 Centre St. were briefly evacuated, and the Holland Tunnel was briefly closed but reopened.

A spokesperson for the city's Department of Buildings said the agency had not yet received information about damage related to the earthquake.

Wahed Karimi, a food cart vendor, said he thought the quake was a train at first.

Bahar Ostadan/Gothamist

“In case of an aftershock, drop to the floor, cover your head and neck, and take additional cover under a solid piece of furniture, next to an interior wall, or in a doorway,” said mayoral spokesperson Fabien Levy on X.

Ilana Maier, a spokesperson for the Department of Housing Preservation and Development, encouraged New Yorkers to call 311 to report any problems related to the earthquake unless there is an emergency.

“Folks should call 311 with any concerns unless they feel there is imminent danger and they should call 911,” Maier said.

Wahed Karimi, a food cart vendor in Foley Square, said at first he mistook the quake for a passing subway.

“It was very unusual because I'm here for a long time and I see that shaking sometimes because of the train, but it was a little longer than normal," he said. "It was kind of scary.”

David Brand, Nancy Solomon, Jon Campbell, Stephen Brown and Charles Lane contributed reporting.

This is a developing story and has been updated.

Tagged

earthquake nyc

Health and Science

new york city

public safety

new jersey

Brittany Kriegstein

Twitter

Brittany Kriegstein covers all breaking news around New York City, with a focus on crime and gun violence. Got a tip? Email Brittany at [email protected].

Bahar Ostadan

Twitter

Bahar Ostadan covers the NYPD and public safety. Got a tip? Email [email protected] or message Bahar on Signal at 646-740-7335.

Jaclyn Jeffrey-Wilensky

Jaclyn is a former Gothamist reporter.

Elizabeth Kim

Elizabeth Kim is a reporter on the People and Power desk who covers mayoral power. She previously covered the pandemic, housing, redevelopment and public spaces. A native of Queens, she speaks fluent Mandarin. Got a tip? Email [email protected]

Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations

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