Earthquake in New Jersey shakes parts of Northeast

George Stockburger
·3 min read

(WHTM/NEXSTAR) – A “notable” earthquake was recorded near Lebanon, New Jersey, on Friday morning, the United States Geological Survey said, sharking parts of the Northeast not usually affected by such strong seismic activity.

The agency’s figures indicated that over 42 million people might have felt the rumbling, including those in the New York City metropolitan area, though officials said there were no initial reports of damage.

Earthquake felt by 42 million people, USGS estimates. Map shows where it was strongest

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) reported that the quake, which took place at 10:23 a.m., had a magnitude of 4.8. The reading was recorded north of Whitehouse Station, New Jersey — around 45 miles west of New York City and 50 miles north of Philadelphia.

usgs earthquake
A map by the U.S. Geological Survey shows the earthquake’s epicenter just north of Whitehouse, New Jersey, around 45 miles west of New York City. (USGS)

People in upstate New York, Baltimore, Connecticut and other areas of the East Coast unaccustomed to earthquakes also reported feeling the ground shake. Tremors lasting for several seconds were felt over 200 miles away near the Massachusetts-New Hampshire border.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, at a press conference Friday morning, said state officials would be assessing any impacts the quake may have had on bridges, roads, gas lines, vulnerable structures or telecommunications operations, but an official said only one gas leak was reported in Rockland County as of Friday at 11:30 a.m. No other “life-threatening situations” had been identified, Hochul said.

She was also in communication with the White House amid the ongoing assessments.

“It’s been an unsettling day to say the least,” Hochul added.

The Federal Aviation Administration also warned of possible disruptions at airports in New York, New Jersey, Philadelphia and Baltimore, but said “air traffic operations are resuming as quickly as possible.” Hochul confirmed Friday morning that JFK airport in New York City and the Newark airport in New Jersey had been temporarily placed under full ground stops in the event of aftershocks.

Traffic through the Holland Tunnel between Jersey City, New Jersey, and lower Manhattan was stopped for about 10 minutes for inspections, the Port Authority of New York and Jersey said.

There was also no risk of a tsunami from this earthquake, according to the United States Tsunami Warning System.

New Jersey earthquake captured live on MLB Network

According to the State of New Jersey Office of Emergency Management, the largest earthquake felt in New Jersey happened in 1783 and was a 5.3 magnitude quake. It was reported west of New York City and was felt from New Hampshire to Pennsylvania.

The Friday quake also stirred memories of the Aug. 23, 2011, earthquake that jolted tens of millions of people from Georgia to Canada. Registering magnitude 5.8, it was the strongest quake to hit the East Coast since World War II. The epicenter was in Virginia.

That earthquake left cracks in the Washington Monument, spurred the evacuation of the White House and Capitol and rattled New Yorkers three weeks before the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terror attacks.

The Associated Press contributed to this article.

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