There was a palpable tension as a magnitude 4.8 earthquake shook New Jersey with its tremors reaching into New York City and the surrounding regions.
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) confirmed that the earthquake originated seven kilometres northeast of Whitehouse Station, New Jersey, striking the area at approximately 10:20 AM local time.
The fire department of New York said on Friday there were no initial reports of damage.
The New York Police Department’s Deputy Commissioner of Operations, Kaz Daughtry, stated, “While we do not have any reports of major impacts at this time, we’re still assessing the impact.”
The UN Security Council was meeting at its headquarters in New York to discuss the situation in Gaza when the earthquake struck, causing the building to shake.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul posted on social media that the quake 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.
During a later press conference, Hochul mentioned that the quake was felt as far away as Baltimore, Maryland. “This is one of the largest earthquakes on the East Coast to occur in the last century,” she said.
“Everyone should continue to take this seriously in case of aftershocks”, she added.
The shaking brought back memories of the August 23, 2011 earthquake that affected tens of millions of people from Georgia to Canada. With a magnitude of 5.8, it was the strongest quake to hit the East Coast since the Second World War, with its epicentre located in Virginia.
The 2011 earthquake caused cracks in the Washington Monument, led to the evacuation of the White House and Capitol, and unsettled New Yorkers just three weeks before the 10th anniversary of the September 11 terror attacks.
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