A 4.8 magnitude earthquake near New York City sent major shockwaves throughout the region on Friday morning.
According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the earthquake’s epicenter was located in Whitehouse Station, New Jersey, just 40 miles west of New York City. CBS News reported that the earthquake occurred at roughly 10:23 a.m. and was felt as far away as Maine and Washington, D.C. The outlet noted there have been multiple reports of buildings shaking throughout New York City and New Jersey.
“We’re taking this extremely seriously and here’s why. There’s always the possibility of aftershocks. We have not felt a magnitude of this earthquake since about 2011,” Governor Kathy Hochul (D-N.Y.) said. “This is one of the largest earthquakes on the East Coast to occur in the last century.”
A video recorded by EarthCam shows the moment the 4.8 magnitude earthquake shook New Jersey and New York City on Friday.
Following Friday’s earthquake, the New York City Fire Department released a statement, saying, “Around 10:30 AM, FDNY received reports of building shaking. We are responding to calls and evaluating structural stability. There are no major incidents at this time. We will continue to monitor.”
New York City Mayor Eric Adams also released a statement, explaining that the city’s various agencies and its state and federal partners were continuing to “monitor the aftermath” of Friday’s earthquake. The mayor explained that while it was a “developing situation,” the city had not yet received reports of any “life safety or infrastructure problems.”
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According to USA Today, Paul Earle, a seismologist with the U.S. Geological Survey’s Earthquake Hazards Program, told reporters, “Earthquakes in this region are uncommon but not unexpected. It’s likely people near the epicenter are going to feel aftershocks for this earthquake in the magnitude 2-3 range, and there’s a small chance there can be an earthquake as large or larger, following an earthquake like this.”
Fox News reported that approximately one hour after the first earthquake, a 2.0 magnitude aftershock was reported near Bedminster, New Jersey. The outlet also reported that a 2.2 magnitude aftershock was later recorded near Bridgewater, New Jersey, and a 1.8 magnitude aftershock was recorded near Chester Township, New Jersey.
According to Fox News, the data indicates that Friday’s earthquake might have been felt by over 42 million people in 14 different states.
This was a breaking news story. The details were periodically updated as more information became available.
