4.8 magnitude earthquake shakes NYC, New Jersey. Could it happen in Florida? What we know

Cheryl McCloud, USA TODAY NETWORK - Florida
·3 min read
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An earthquake shook people in New York and New Jersey Friday morning.

The United States Geological Survey reported the 4.8 magnitude quake happened about 4 miles north of Whitehouse Station, New Jersey.

As of 10:45 a.m. Friday, April 5, more than 2,500 people across the New Jersey and New York reported feeling the tremor.

The quake comes just two days after the April 3 quake killed at least four people and injured dozens of others in Taiwan. That quake was a powerful 7.4 magnitude.

Here's what we know so far.

What was the epicenter of the April 5 earthquake felt in New Jersey, New York?

A magnitude 4.8 earthquake was felt across the Northeast April 5, 2024.
A magnitude 4.8 earthquake was felt across the Northeast April 5, 2024.

The U.S.G.S. reported the quake was centered 7.9 miles southeast of Bridgewater, New Jersey, or 32 miles south of Trenton.

How strong was the New Jersey earthquake April 5?

The earthquake was a 4.8 magnitude, the U.S.G.S. said.

How far away was the earthquake felt in the Northeast?

A magnitude 4.8 earthquake was felt across the Northeast April 5, 2024.
A magnitude 4.8 earthquake was felt across the Northeast April 5, 2024.

Reports are still coming into the U.S.G.S., but people have said they felt the quake as far west as Cleveland, Ohio, and as far north as Portland, Maine. Residents as far south as Raleigh and Charlotte reported feeling the earthquake.

Some reports have even arrived from Ottawa and Toronto in Canada.

➤ Interactive map on where earthquake was felt

4.0 earthquake shook residents, who mistook it for launch

Yes. The last earthquake reported in Florida happened just over two months ago, on Feb. 8.

The 4.0 quake occurred about 100 miles east of Cape Canaveral about 10:48 p.m. at a shallow depth of about 6 miles, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

Residents from Merritt Island to Palm Bay reported feeling the moderate quake.

Some confused the earthquake with NASA's PACE spacecraft launch from Cape Canaveral, which did produce a sonic boom several hours later. The spacecraft created a sonic boom at 1:47 a.m., according to local law enforcement.

Are there really earthquakes in Florida?

Yes, there are earthquakes in Florida, but they're very rare.

Florida ties North Dakota as the state with the fewest earthquakes per year. Between 1975 and 1995, the state was one of only four that recorded no earthquakes at all. The others were Iowa, Wisconsin and North Dakota.

How common are earthquakes in the New York area?

The U.S.G.S. reported people in the New York-Philadelphia-Wilmington corridor have felt small earthquakes since colonial times.

"Moderately damaging earthquakes strike somewhere in the urban corridor roughly twice a century, and smaller earthquakes are felt roughly every two to three years," the U.S.G.S. said.

Residents take to social media to post reactions to earthquake, and its proximity to eclipse

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: New Jersey, New York City 4.8 quake. Social media reactions