World Courant
A 4.8 magnitude earthquake shook the Northeast Friday morning, shaking buildings from Philadelphia to New Jersey and New York Metropolis to Connecticut and Westchester, New York.
The earthquake occurred close to Whitehouse Station, New Jersey, and may very well be felt as far south as Washington DC and as far north as Maine, in keeping with the US Geological Survey.
There have been no rapid reviews of accidents or main injury.
“The probability of casualties and injury is low,” the US Geological Survey mentioned.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul referred to as it “one of many largest East Coast earthquakes of the final century.”
“It felt like there was a curler coaster beneath my home going 1,000 miles per hour,” Carol Nicolaidis of Brooklyn, New York, informed ABC Information. “At first I believed there have been pipes exploding underneath my home.”
“I used to be sitting in my lounge and I noticed the partitions shaking; it felt like a wave,” she mentioned.
“It felt like a subway went underneath the sofa,” mentioned Rocco Pietropola, who was in an eighth-floor condo in Manhattan.
Con Edison mentioned there have been no reviews of outages, and the MTA mentioned there was no disruption to service to the New York Metropolis subway system.
Magnitude 4.8 earthquake on April 5, 2024 close to Whitehouse Station, NJ
ABC Information Card Illustration / USGS
Solely “restricted injury” has been reported in New Jersey, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy mentioned.
President Joe Biden was briefed on the earthquake and spoke with Murphy, and White Home officers say Biden’s staff is monitoring potential impacts.
New York Metropolis faculties stay open as regular, in keeping with Division of Schooling press secretary Nathaniel Styer.
“Right now, there isn’t any indication that our buildings have been compromised, and our services employees is inspecting buildings shortly and completely to make sure security. The most secure place for our youngsters proper now could be our faculty,” Styer mentioned.
Simone P. Bourgeois, director, factors out the earthquake shock recorded by the seismograph on the Sea Lab Marine Science Schooling Middle in New Bedford, NJ on April 5, 2024.
Peter Pereira/De Standaardtijden through USA Immediately Community
At Rye Nation Day Faculty in Rye, New York, “the scholars thought this was the best factor ever,” says Gail Sestito, a seventh and eighth grade counselor and highschool science teacher.
“Many mentioned they noticed the lights shake a bit and the sensible board shake. However largely we heard it – it gave the impression of college students working down the corridor,” she mentioned.
“As science lecturers, we have been excited to dig into no matter particulars we might discover,” she mentioned. “Our seventh grade class is presently educating geology, so it is an ideal connection to actual life.”
“Clearly the protection of the scholars was paramount, so we evacuated utilizing our fireplace drill procedures to take all college students under consideration,” Sestito mentioned. “Whereas we waited for permission to return to class, we talked to them – casually – in regards to the rarity of this, and in addition in regards to the upcoming photo voltaic eclipse.”
“Earthquakes alongside the Atlantic coast are uncommon, however not remarkable,” in keeping with the US Geological Survey. “M4.8 isn’t massive sufficient to trigger injury, aside from lighting results within the rapid epicentral area. It’s massive sufficient to be felt strongly, particularly within the east, the place earthquakes journey by means of the crust extra effectively than within the west. .”
Damaging earthquakes felt in New Jersey
Dept. of Environmental Safety, Land Use Administration, NJ Geological Survey
John F. Kennedy Worldwide Airport in New York Metropolis, Newark Liberty Worldwide Airport in New Jersey and Baltimore/Washington Worldwide Thurgood Marshall Airport have been all positioned on floor stops in order that runways may very well be inspected for injury. The airports at the moment are operational once more.
Based on the Port Authority, automobiles have been quickly held on the Holland Tunnel between New Jersey and Manhattan in order that the tunnel may very well be inspected.
Officers in Baltimore and Washington DC mentioned the earthquake had no impression on the DC area.
Based on Governor Kathy Hochul, the earthquake was felt all through New York.
ABC information
What are aftershocks?
Hochul mentioned she and her authorities are taking the earthquake very significantly, noting there may be at all times the opportunity of aftershocks.
Aftershocks are smaller earthquakes that strike the identical space within the days, weeks, months or years after the bigger earthquake, in keeping with the US Geological Survey.
Based on the US Geological Survey, there’s a 46% likelihood of an aftershock better than 3.0 on the Richter scale within the aftermath of Friday morning’s earthquake.
“In the event you really feel an aftershock, fall to the bottom, cowl your head and neck, and take cowl underneath a sturdy piece of furnishings, subsequent to an inside wall, or in a doorway,” New York Mayor Eric Adams mentioned in an announcement. .
This can be a growth story. Verify again later for updates.
