BRIDGEWATER, N.J. – A moderate earthquake struck New Jersey on Friday morning, with over 160,000 reports of shaking across New York City and much of the Northeast.
The U.S. Geological Survey recorded a preliminary magnitude 4.8 earthquake about 8 miles northeast of Bridgewater, New Jersey, at 10:23 a.m. EDT. Several aftershocks were reported from or near the epicenter. At least a dozen aftershocks have been reported, with the greatest being a magnitude 3.8 around 6 p.m.
The earthquake was the strongest to hit New Jersey in 240 years and the strongest felt in the New York City area since 1884, the FOX Forecast Center said.
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Buildings throughout New York City are being inspected for structural integrity and damage. Thankfully, there are no reports of major damage or injuries so far.
However, people in three homes in Newark, New Jersey were evacuated after the earthquake due to structural concerns about the stability of their houses, according to FOX 5 New York. Building officials are looking into the scope of the damage.
Elizabeth Page, a Queens resident, captured footage of items in her apartment shaking. The video shows her sitting on the floor, suspecting that an earthquake is affecting her apartment in New York City.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams said first responders quickly completed assessments around the city to ensure the safety of New Yorkers.
“I encourage all New Yorkers to check on your loved ones, and if you feel an aftershock, drop to the floor, cover your head and neck, and take cover under a solid piece of furniture, next to an interior wall, or in a doorway,” he said, “So far no major life safety issues reported, no reported infrastructure issues, but we will continue our inspections of critical infrastructure.”
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New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy activated the State Emergency Operations Center and asked that the public only call 911 in an emergency.
Newark Liberty International Airport and John F. Kennedy Airport were at a temporary ground stop shortly after the earthquake, and flights were held until the runways could be inspected for damage. Passengers were informed by United Airlines that change fees would be waived for any issues related to the earthquake.
Holland Tunnel traffic was also temporarily halted for inspection, as the NJ Transit rail service saw 20-minute delays due to bridge inspections.
New Jersey’s Public Service Enterprise Group (PSE&G) says they have completed inspections of their power grid and infrastructure, which includes the area around the epicenter, and have found no damage or outages from the earthquake.
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro actively monitored the situation and contacted counties about possible damage.
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Footage taken by Richard Snyder captures a few seconds of the earthquake, as felt from his home in Pennsylvania’s Lehigh Valley.
“What the (expletive) is that?” Snyder is heard saying in the video. “What the hell? We’re having an earthquake!”
Seismologists warned that those in the affected area should brace themselves for aftershocks.
Based on data from USGS, there was a 15% probability of an aftershock with a magnitude of 4.0 or higher and a 45% probability of an aftershock with a magnitude of 3.0 or higher taking place within the next seven days, but those odds have dropped since the first shaking.
Around 6 p.m. a aftershock that was estimated to be a magnitude 3.8 shook the region, and triggering authorities to again urge caution.
“Definitely — basically you never have just one earthquake,” San Diego State Geologist Pat Abbott told FOX Weather. “Once the Earth has fractured in someplace and moved, that means it’s moved a lot of stress forward, which is going to cause adjoining areas to move as well.”
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Abbott said he would expect the aftershocks to be weaker in magnitude.
“I would expect one or two aftershocks that you would feel — it won’t be as much damage, it won’t be felt by as many people, but there will be more aftershocks,” he added.
Abbott said that while a 4.8-magnitude quake may feel routine to those along the West Coast, it would be felt over a wider area in the East.
Mountains in the West are constantly being pushed up, leading to crushed rocks that don’t transmit seismic energy as easily as those in the East, Abbott added, So, an earthquake of the same size in the East will be felt over a much wider area than in the West.