A rare earthquake rocked the New York City area Friday morning, swaying buildings and sending terrified residents into the streets — the strongest temblor to strike near the Big Apple in 140 years.
City officials quickly warned people of the danger of potential aftershocks — which began in the early afternoon in New Jersey, a report said.
The preliminary 4.8-magnitude earthquake struck near Lebanon, NJ, around 10:23 a.m. and was potentially felt by more than 42 million people, according to the US Geological Survey.
“I was doing my morning reporting, and this safe in my office, that’s a ton, starts shaking. The whole room is shaking,” said Monique Horton, who works at the Balmain store on Madison Avenue in Manhattan. “I was just freaked out. Scary, really scary. I’m a New Yorker, my whole life, 36 years, never seen anything like it.”
USGS
At the United Nations in Midtown Manhattan, a Security Council address on the Israel-Gaza conflict was interrupted as cameras began shuddering.
The Federal Aviation Administration told airlines to expect flight delays in and out of the Big Apple because of the quake. Some flights bound for New York had already diverted to other airports, according to FlightAware.
Robert Miller for NY Post
Robert Miller for NY Post
Robert Miller for NY Post
The US Geological Survey logged 160,000 reports on its website from panicked residents in the quake’s aftermath – a potential new record, officials said.
“This is one of the largest earthquakes on the East Coast in the last century,” New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said.
The last time an earthquake with a magnitude close to 5 struck near New York City was back in 1884, the USGS said. That quake appeared to have been centered in Brooklyn.
A stronger 5.8 quake was felt in the city in 2011, although that started in Virginia.
Friday’s temblor was the strongest to hit New Jersey in 240 years, according to the Fox Forecast Center.
USGS officials said at least two aftershocks had been recorded by Friday afternoon.
Both Hochul and Mayor Eric Adams said there were no initial reports of injuries or damage from Friday’s quake, however it later emerged that the walls of a gym at a Brooklyn middle school suffered several cracks.
Engineers with the city Department of Buildings were dispatched to J.H.S. 218 James P. Sinnott in East New York, where they ordered the gymnasium shut down until repairs are made, though the rest of the school can remain open, the agency said.
It was determined the bricks that make up the gym’s masonry walls could potentially break loose due to the cracks, according to the DOB. No other structural issues were found in the school.
Meanwhile, Hochul and Adams warned New Yorkers to be wary of the possible aftershocks.
“We are always concerned about aftershocks after an earthquake but New Yorkers should go about their normal day,” Hizzoner said.
“Earthquakes don’t happen every day in New York, so this can be extremely traumatic. I encourage New Yorkers to check on their loved ones to make sure that they are fine.”
City and state officials said there were no reported infrastructure issues as a result of the quake, noting that all major bridges and tunnels had been inspected.
Source: https://nypost.com/2024/04/05/us-news/earthquake-rocks-nyc-tri-state-area/