A seismic event occurred between New York and Philadelphia, causing buildings and residential areas across the northeastern U.S. to shake for a few seconds on Friday morning. Although no significant damage was reported, the incident startled millions of individuals in an area that is not accustomed to experiencing such tremors.
A quake was reported by the U.S. Geological Survey at 10:23 a.m. The preliminary magnitude was 4.8 and it was centred near Whitehouse Station, New Jersey. This location is approximately 45 miles (72 kilometres) west of New York City and 50 miles (80 kilometres) north of Philadelphia. According to the agency’s data, a significant number of individuals may have experienced the shaking.
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Reports of the ground shaking were made by individuals spanning from Baltimore to the Massachusetts-New Hampshire border. Although no significant damage has been reported so far, authorities are currently inspecting bridges and other important infrastructure. As a precautionary measure, Amtrak has reduced the speed of trains along the bustling Northeast Corridor, and a commuter rail line in the Philadelphia area has temporarily halted service.
According to Christiann Thompson, various pictures and decorative plates fell off the wall in her house in Whitehouse Station. Thompson was helping out at the local library when the earthquake struck. Although it had minimal impact on her surroundings, she received an update from her husband who was at home.
“The dogs lost their minds and got very terrified and ran around,” she said.
Shawn Clark had a rather unsettling experience in his 26th-floor midtown Manhattan office when he felt the earthquake. He described it as “pretty weird and scary.” Clark, an attorney, was initially concerned about a potential explosion or construction mishap. Finn Dusenbery, his colleague, expressed concern about the stability of the ceiling or even the entire building.
The earthquake caused disruptions to travel along the East Coast, resulting in flight diversions and traffic congestion on roads and rails due to inspections of runways, bridges, and tunnels. Authorities conducted inspections on runways, causing delays for flights departing from Newark, New York, and Baltimore airports. According to FlightAware, several flights heading to Newark were redirected and touched down at Lehigh Valley International Airport in Allentown, Pennsylvania.
One group of travellers impacted by the situation was Seton Hall University’s men’s basketball team. They found themselves stranded in Indianapolis after their victory in the National Invitational Tournament on Thursday. The team mentioned that their flight to Newark was being delayed due to the earthquake-related ground stop. This delay is expected to impact the welcome-home celebration that was planned for Friday afternoon on Seton Hall’s campus in South Orange, New Jersey.
Inspections caused a brief halt in traffic through the Holland Tunnel connecting Jersey City, New Jersey, and lower Manhattan, according to the Port Authority of New York and Jersey.
In the bustling streets of midtown Manhattan, drivers honked their horns amidst the chaos. Residents in Brooklyn were startled by a sudden loud noise and the unsettling sensation of their building trembling. During the incident, there was a surge in mobile usage as individuals attempted to contact their family and friends to gather information and ensure their safety.
During an emergency Security Council session at U.N. headquarters in New York, the chief executive of Save The Children, Janti Soeripto, was abruptly interrupted by shaking. She was in the midst of briefing the council on the dire threat of famine in Gaza and the tragic loss of aid workers due to Israeli drone strikes.
“Is it an earthquake?” Soeripto pondered out loud, then inquired if it was permissible to proceed. She did, but shortly after, diplomats received urgent earthquake alerts on their phones.
In the Astoria neighbourhood of New York City, Cassondra Kurtz was pampering her 14-year-old Chihuahua, Chiki, with a soothing cocoa-butter rubdown to help with her dry skin. Kurtz was capturing the moment on video when her apartment suddenly began shaking vigorously, causing a large mirror to audibly collide with a wall.
Kurtz initially thought it was a large vehicle passing by. She appeared confused as she glanced around in the video. Chiki, on the other hand, remained completely unfazed.
Earthquakes occur less frequently on the eastern edges of the U.S. compared to the western edges due to the absence of tectonic plate boundaries along the East Coast. The largest earthquakes in the Eastern region typically occur along the mid-Atlantic Ridge, which stretches from Iceland to the Atlantic Ocean.
Earthquakes on the East Coast can still have a significant impact, as the rocks in this region are more effective at distributing earthquake energy over long distances compared to their counterparts in the west.
According to USGS geophysicist Paul Caruso, a similar earthquake in California would likely have a much smaller impact and would not be felt as widely.
According to the agency’s post on X, a 4.8-magnitude earthquake is not significant enough to result in any major damage. However, it may have caused some minor effects in the vicinity of the epicentre.
According to Robert Thorson, a professor of earth sciences at the University of Connecticut, the earthquake in New Jersey was caused by the ongoing compression of the earth’s rigid and fragile crust.
“It feels as if you’re trapped in a tightening grip, with no escape,” he remarked. Sooner or later, there will be some crackling on it.
The earthquake that occurred on Friday was experienced by residents as far as Vermont and New Hampshire. Some of them initially mistook the shaking for snow falling off their roofs or plough trucks passing by.
Stacy Santa Cruz, a paralegal, observed her computer screen trembling at her office in Hartford, Connecticut.
“I kind of was taken aback, but then I kind of processed that it might have been an earthquake,” she said, noting that she’d experienced a significant quake in her native Peru.
According to the USGS, there were significant earthquakes near New York City in 1737, 1783, and 1884, with magnitudes near or above 5. Friday’s event brought back memories of the earthquake that occurred on August 23, 2011, which affected a large number of people from Georgia to Canada. Originating in Virginia, it caused damage to the Washington Monument and caused anxiety among New Yorkers as the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terror attacks approached.
With a magnitude of 5.8, this earthquake stands out as the most powerful to strike the East Coast since World War II.
President Joe Biden recently discussed the earthquake with New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy. The White House assured that the administration is ready to offer assistance to state and local officials, if required.
According to Mayor Eric Adams, New York City has not reported any significant safety or infrastructure issues resulting from the earthquake as of noon. The mayor also mentioned that he personally did not feel the quake. City Buildings Commissioner James Oddo expressed his concern for any potential structural issues that may arise in New York City’s 1.1 million buildings.
Kristen Thomas, the owner of an art gallery in Chinatown, expressed concern about the future of a sculpture that showcases five authentic eggs delicately arranged on a base resembling a candelabra. However, Carlos Estévez’s article remained intact.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul reassured the public that the earthquake was felt across the state, but fortunately, there have been no reports of any life-threatening issues, according to officials.
Solomon Byron sensed it as he perched on a park bench in the vibrant East Village of Manhattan.
“I was just like, ‘Where is that vibration coming from?'” Byron reminisced. He found it particularly perplexing as there were no subways in the vicinity.
However, he was unaware of the earthquake until he received the notification on his mobile.
