New Jersey’s strongest earthquake in more than 240 years, followed by 11 aftershocks

As many as 11 aftershocks hit parts of New York City and surrounding areas Encountered a 4.8 magnitude earthquake Buildings shook on the East Coast on Friday, surprising residents of a region that rarely experiences significant seismic activity.

According to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the 4.8-magnitude earthquake was the third largest recorded in the region in the past 50 years and the strongest earthquake in New Jersey in more than 240 years.

The initial tremors were felt just after 10.20am (US local time) at a depth of 4.7 kilometers (2.9 miles).

An hour after the initial impact, a magnitude 2.0 aftershock occurred west of Bedminster, New Jersey. The U.S. Geological Survey said a magnitude 1.8 aftershock occurred around 12:30 p.m., a magnitude 2.0 aftershock occurred at 1:14 p.m., and another magnitude 2.0 aftershock occurred shortly before 3 p.m.

While no major damage was reported, engineering teams are inspecting roads and bridges.

People from Baltimore to Boston reported feeling rumbling and shaking, with some running outside to try to find the source.

A video shared by EarthCam on X shows the moment a 4.8-magnitude earthquake struck New Jersey and surrounding states.

“This is one of the largest earthquakes on the East Coast in the last century,” New York State Governor Kathy Hochul said at a press conference after the earthquake.

Later, James Pittinger, the mayor of Lebanon, New Jersey, called the earthquake a “crazy experience” and said: “I was sitting in my home office when things started falling off the walls and shelves.”

Charita Walcott, a 38-year-old resident of the Bronx, New York, told CNN that the earthquake felt “like a loud rumble that lasted about 30 seconds or so. The vibration was kind of like being in a drum circle.” “

At the United Nations in downtown Manhattan, the CEO of Save the Children suddenly stopped speaking to the Security Council on the Israel-Gaza conflict as the cameras began to shake.

Palestinian UN envoy Riyad Mansour quipped: “You are shaking the ground.”

Flights at area airports were suspended following the earthquake but resumed at 12:30 p.m., according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

Why do earthquakes rarely occur?

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, earthquakes in the eastern United States are much more widespread because the bedrock is older and harder and can more easily transmit seismic energy.

Rocks in the western United States are younger and contain more faults that absorb seismic energy.

Friday’s quake was the strongest felt in the city since a 5.8-magnitude quake in Virginia in 2011 that caused damage to Washington by prompting the evacuation of City Hall and other buildings.

Just months before the quake, the U.S. Geological Survey warned that nearly 75 percent of the United States could face a damaging earthquake within the next 100 years.

Earthquake magnitude is measured on a logarithmic scale, meaning that for every whole number, the amount of energy released by an earthquake increases by more than 30 times.

A 1989 earthquake that disrupted baseball’s World Series and rocked San Francisco was measured at 6.9 magnitude, more than 1,000 times stronger than Friday’s quake.