U.S. NewsBreaking News

Actions

No damage, injuries reported from earthquake in NYC area

Officials reported that shaking could be felt from Philadelphia all the way up into southern New England. Later, a 4.0 aftershock hit the region.
Posted at 10:45 AM, Apr 05, 2024

A rare earthquake shook the East Coast on Friday. The quake was centered in Lebanon, New Jersey, a town 50 miles west of New York City. 

The U.S. Geological Survey has gone back and forth about whether the earthquake measured 4.8 or 4.7, settling on 4.8 for now. Regardless of the size, it was felt in and around New York City and Philadelphia. 

Later, a 4.0 magnitude aftershock was registered with its epicenter at just over 4 miles southwest of Gladstone, New Jersey, USGS reported. It was also felt in New York City by a Scripps News employee who confirmed the tremor. 

AP

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said that no damage has been reported in her state. 

The Federal Aviation Administration said that travelers could expect delays of 30-45 minutes at New York City's major airports due to the earthquake. 

Officials also announced that the Holland Tunnel would be temporarily held for inspections. Amtrak said it was implementing speed restrictions for trains in the region. 

According to the USGS, Friday's earthquake was the strongest to be centered in New Jersey since 1780. The earthquake also was the strongest to strike an East Coast state since a Magnitude 5.1 earthquake rattled North Carolina in 2020.

The earthquake was a bit weaker than the Magnitude 5.8 quake centered in Virginia in 2011 that was widely felt across the East Coast and caused some damage in the Washington, D.C. area.