Blog

An earthquake of magnitude 4.7 struck New York City region on Friday, an area which rarely experiences seismic activity.

The US Geological Survey measured the earthquake at 4.7 magnitude on the Richter scale, saying its epicentre was near Lebanon, New Jersey. No damage was immediately reported.

The European Mediterranean Seismological Centre measured the quake at 5.5 magnitude.

New York Mayor Eric Adams had been briefed on the quake, reported the Associated Press. His spokesperson Fabien Levy said, “While we do not have any reports of major impacts at this time, we’re still assessing the impact.”

According to a report by the Associated Press, some Brooklyn residents heard a booming sound and their building shaking. People in Baltimore, Philadelphia, Connecticut and other areas of the East Coast also reported feeling the ground shake.

In a post on X, New York Governor Kathy Hochul said the earthquake was felt throughout the state.

“My team is assessing impacts and any damage that may have occurred, and we will update the public throughout the day,” Hochul said.

On August 23, 2011, an earthquake of magnitude 5.8 jolted tens of millions of people from Georgia to Canada. It was the strongest quake to hit the East Coast since World War II.

That earthquake left cracks in the Washington Monument, spurred the evacuation of the White House and Capitol and rattled New Yorkers.