A historic 4.8-magnitude earthquake struck west of New York City Friday morning and was felt throughout the region, briefly grounding airplanes and causing some delays to traffic and transit. There were no reports of injuries or major damage, although officials said they were watching in case problems arose in the coming days.
The earthquake struck at 10:23 a.m., centered on a New Jersey suburb about 40 miles west of Manhattan, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Initial USGS reports indicate it was felt as far north as New England and as far south as Washington, D.C.
The quake appears to be the strongest in New York City since 1884, when a 5.5-magnitude earthquake struck that was later found to have been centered in Brooklyn.
Flights were grounded briefly at JFK Airport and for several hours at Newark International Airport, but had resumed takoffs and landings by early afternoon.
“We have not identified any life-threatening situations,” Gov. Kathy Hochul said during a briefing shortly before noon, although she added that the state would inspect all vulnerable infrastructure for signs of damage. There were no reports of any damaged buildings, Hochul said.
Mayor Eric Adams said in his own briefing that “New Yorkers should go about their normal day.”
City Buildings Commissioner James Oddo said that despite the lack of immediate damage, his agency was concerned about any “downstream possibilities” such as cracks in buildings that could appear in the coming weeks. He urged residents and building owners who spot any problems to call 311.
The city has asked construction professionals to begin inspecting some of the city’s 1.1 million buildings, and has sent out its own inspectors as well, Oddo said.
There is a low probability of any aftershocks that will be greater than the initial earthquake, according to USGS forecasts. As of 3 p.m., there remained a 38% chance of another magnitude 3 earthquake, and a 9% chance of another magnitude 4, USGS said. (Three small aftershocks were indeed recorded in the hours after the quake, all with magnitudes of 2 or lower.)
In the event of an aftershock, Hochul advised residents to drop to the floor, cover their necks and grab a sturdy object. Anyone outdoors should move to an open area away from buildings, city officials said.
NJ Transit service was mostly back to normal by 2 p.m. after running with delays for several hours due to bridge inspections, the agency said on social media. There were no service changes to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
The Holland Tunnel also reopened after closing for several minutes for an inspection around 11 a.m.
Hochul said the earthquake struck as she was meeting with her senior team in the state capitol, discussing the ongoing state budget negotiations.
A potential housing deal had been “the only seismic event we expected this week,” the governor joked.
Nick Garber , 2024-04-05 16:51:25
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