A rare earthquake struck the Eastern Seaboard on Fri. April, 5, 2024. As the story develops, here’s an update on how strong the earthquake was and whether there were any injuries.
According to the U.S. Geological Survey, tremors were detected around 10:23am EST about four miles north-northeast of the Whitehouse station in New Jersey, about 45 miles west of New York City. It was felt in Albany, New York, Manhattan, New Jersey, and New Haven, Connecticut, and it grounded aircrafts at JFK and Newark. Those restrictions were lifted about an hour later.
The seismic activity happened about 2.9 miles underground, NBC New York reported. Quakes at that depth are felt in a broader geographical range than earthquakes farther beneath the surface. CBS News says reports came in from as far away as Baltimore and Philadelphia and across Long Island and New Jersey.
How strong was the earthquake?
It’s widely reported that the April 5 earthquake measured between 4.7 and 4.8 on the Richter scale, putting it in the moderate category. Eastern Seaboard earthquakes are uncommon, according to Northeastern Global News. The last significant earthquake in the area happened in 2011, centered around Richmond, VA, and measuring 5.8 on the Richer scale.
Speaking with Northeastern Global News, Daniel Aldrich, a Northeastern University professor and director of the Security and Resilience Program Northeastern professor said earthquakes happen naturally or can be caused by fracking. Aldrich said the April 5 earthquake likely had natural causes.
Was anyone injured?
Meanwhile, no injuries or any significant damage to any buildings has yet been reported. New York City’s Mayor Eric Adams said, “Our preliminary reports do not indicate major life safety or infrastructure issues from the earthquake. We are performing thorough inspections of critical areas.” New York authorities are monitoring the situation.
Despite the moderate nature of the quake, New York City residents were rattled by the seismic activity. New York attorney Finn Dusenbery said, “The building shook and I thought that the ceiling above me was going to collapse. I did think that maybe the building was going to fall down for a second, and I wanted to get out of the building when I felt that.”
Some New Yorkers, however, confused the tremors with a subway possibly passing underneath them. “I felt this vibration, and I was just like, where is that vibration coming from. There’s no trains nowhere close by here or anything like that,” Manhattan resident Solomon Byron added.
This story is breaking …
