MAGNITUDE 4.8 EARTHQUAKE SHAKES CONNECTICUT, NEW YORK AREA, NEW JERSEY
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A magnitude 4.8 earthquake struck New Jersey Friday, triggering frenzied phone calls from Manhattan to Albany to Long Island, Montclair and New Haven, as buildings rumbled in a region unaccustomed to the ground shaking.
The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake hit 3.7 miles east-southeast of Califon, in Hunterdon County, about 45 miles west of New York City, at 10:23 a.m. It was a shallow earthquake, only 2.9 miles deep, which means an earthquake of that strength would be felt by a larger number of people. USGS put that number at 42 million.
“We’re taking this extremely seriously,” New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said, calling it the most powerful earthquake felt by the East Coast since at least 2011 and the strongest to hit the East Coast directly in the last century.
For context, a magnitude 4.0 quake can be felt about 60 miles from the epicenter. This 4.8 one reverberated throughout the entire tri-state, and was felt as far away as Maryland and Massachusetts, according to witness reports.
USGS reported “moderate” intensity near the epicenter, with light and weak shaking reported regionally. Aftershocks are unpredictable but possible, experts say. USGS reported a small one – magnitude 2.0 — in Bedminster, New Jersey, around 11:20 a.m. If you find yourself in one, experts say you should drop to the floor and cover your neck.
Hochul said she directed her team to conduct damage assessments, including checking all state roads as well as major transmission lines and dams. The Democrat encouraged all municipalities to send crews for structural integrity assessments and vulnerable locations.
She also said the White House had pledged any assistance necessary to the New York area, and that she extended the same offer to Gov. Phil Murphy in New Jersey.
The shaking stirred memories of the Aug. 23, 2011, earthquake that jolted tens of millions of people from Georgia to Canada. Registering magnitude 5.8, it was the strongest quake to hit the East Coast since World War II. The epicenter was in Virginia.
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