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East coast residents felt the earth move Friday morning as a minor earthquake struck New Jersey and was felt in surrounding areas, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
The earthquake measured at least 4.8 magnitude and struck near Lebanon, New Jersey, at 10:23 a.m., about 45 miles west of New York City and 50 miles north of Philadelphia, according to USGS. An estimate indicates the quake might have been felt by more than 42 million people.
“Our region just experienced an earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 4.7, with an epicenter near Readington in Hunterdon County,” New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said in a statement. “We have activated our State Emergency Operations Center. Please do not call 911 unless you have an actual emergency.”
“A 4.8 magnitude earthquake hit New Jersey and was felt in parts of Pennsylvania,” Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said. “My team and @PEMAHQ are actively monitoring the situation and in contact with counties on any damage. We will keep Pennsylvanians updated.”
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul issued a similar statement and said her team “will update the public throughout the day.” At a press conference, Hochul said her team felt the earthquake in the state capital of Albany.
“This is one of the largest earthquakes on the East Coast to occur in the last century. So I immediately directed my emergency management team the second we received word of this to start doing damage assessments,” Hochul said.
Several people on social media commented that they felt the earth shake in Manhattan and surrounding areas. Some reported feeling tremors in Connecticut, Rhode Island and as far north as Vermont and New Hampshire.
Lara Walsh, a resident of Norwalk, Connecticut, said shelves rattled and her house shook. “My group chat for Rowayton paddle tennis team exploded when we all said, ‘what was that,’ and came to the conclusion it was definitely an earthquake,” Walsh told Fox News Digital.
“I thought my furnace was exploding, because it was a loud sound. Some thought it was a plane above,” Walsh said.
Mark Block, who lives in Trumbull, Conn., said he felt the earthquake “pretty strongly” in his area.
“What first sounded like our furnace rumbling was quickly replaced by glasses clinking and pictures shaking. Never felt anything like it in 63 years here,” Block said.
The Fire Department of New York said there were no initial reports of damage. Fabien Levy, a spokesman for New York Mayor Eric Adams, told the Associated Press there were no reports of major impacts at this time. “We’re still assessing the impact,” Levy said.
New York City emergency services sent a cell phone alert to residents Friday morning.
Flights at the Newark and John F. Kennedy International airports were temporarily halted. The Holland Tunnel connecting New York and New Jersey was temporarily closed for inspection and has been reopened, authorities said.
“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,” Adams said at a press conference Friday.
“So far no major life safety issues reported, no reported infrastructure issues, but we will continue our inspections of critical infrastructure.”
