A 4.8 Quake in NJ Rattles Manhattan; Around 30 Smaller Aftershocks Hit Over Weekend

Dozens of small aftershocked continued over two days following an earthquake with a magnitude of 4.8 on the Richter scale hit in New Jersey and rattled Manhattan on April 5.

The initial shockwave lasted about 25 seconds hit and hit at 10:23 a.m.

No major damage was reported from the initial earthquake or the first aftershock of about 4.0 that hit around 6 p.m. on Friday evening, followed by dozens of minor shocks through the weekend. City officials urged New Yorkers to be vigilant in the days ahead for unseen damage, such as cracks in buildings or foundations. A school building was evacuated in Brooklyn after cracks were noticed in its foundation. The MTA said it inspected subway and train tracks but noticed no damage.

Many residents in Manhattan reported they felt the mid-morning rumble from the quake, but those in Jersey, closer to the epicenter, felt and heard the rattle more intensely.

NYC Emergency Management posted at 6: 24 p.m. on April 5: “USGS confirms aftershock has taken place. At this point we have no major damage reports coming in. Please call 911 for life safety issues & 311 for non-emergencies. Check in on your family & friends, esp. those who are vulnerable & have accessibility & functionality issues,”

The epicenter of the original quake was roughly 45 miles away from Manhattan, about five miles north of Whitehouse Station, N.J. The quake is reported to be the strongest in New York City area since 1884, when a 5.5 magnitude earthquake struck with an epicenter in Brooklyn.

It was the second earthquake to be felt by city residents within four months. The last time an earthquake hit NYC was in January; it had a 1.7 magnitude and shook Astoria and was felt by residents primarily on the east side of Manhattan.

The initial quake on April 5 was felt as far south as Maryland and as far north as central Connecticut. Parts of central Pennsylvania and central New York also reported light shaking.

New Yorkers were quick to take to X, formerly known as Twitter, reacting to the earthquake posting “Did we just have an earthquake?! NYC,” posted by @jes_chastain, minutes after the incident. Then another, “NYC earthquake, while on 10th floor of a building.... scary,” posted by @KimGhattas, along with others.

“A 4.8 magnitude earthquake hit west of Manhattan and has been felt throughout New York,” Gov. Kathy Hochul took to X, after frightened New Yorkers commented. “My team is assessing impacts and any damage that may have occurred, and we will update the public throughout the day.”

Cathy Lenski, a resident of Tewksbury, a township a little over 10 miles away from the epicenter in New Jersey, felt the rattle more intensely than those in Manhattan, according to PIX11.

”It felt like a truck was underneath our house. The whole house was shaking, and it wouldn’t stop. It was very scary,” Lenski told PIX11.

”It felt like a really long time. It lasted maybe 20-30 seconds but it feels longer when you are living through it.”

One woman on Manhattan’s east side said she was startled by an electric toothbrush falling off a bathroom shelf. Another city resident said, “It sounded like someone was jumping on the ceiling in the floor about ours, but we don’t have anyone above us.”

Officials said there was an uptick in 911 and 311 calls in New York City at 10:30 a.m. but that subsided by 11 a.m. One resident on City Island said she looked out her window and noticed the water on Long Island Sound suddenly churning.

“We have seen a minor increase, about 30 additional calls we would typically get on a Friday, and none of them were from major incidents,” Laura Kavanaugh, New York City Fire Commissioner said at the press conference.

“New Yorkers should go about their normal day,” Mayor Adams urged New Yorkers at the press conference. “At this point, we do not have any reports of major impacts to our infrastructure or injuries, but we are still assessing the situation.”

“Earthquakes don’t happen every day in New York,” Mayor Adams said. “This could be a traumatic moment for individuals going through an earthquake. So, please check-in on your loved ones. The safest place for our students is to continue to be in school.”

The FDNY and NYPD both said there were no immediate reports of damage, but both agencies are monitoring the situation.

MTA reported just before 11 a.m. that there was no damage or service disruption to the New York City subway system.

“I want to assure New Yorkers that the service on the transit system maintain continuously operating safely throughout the incident,” Janno Lieber, MTA CEO said in the press conference.

An Emergency Alert message was sent about 20 minutes after the earthquake, and some complained that it was sent late. Officials argue, however, that sending the message 20 minutes after the incident was “pretty fast for a public notification.”

“If you feel an aftershock, cover your head and neck, and take cover under a solid piece of furniture next to an interior wall or in a doorway,” Mayor Adams said to conclude his talk at the press conference.

Kathy Sheridan, president of MTA bridges and tunnels continues to ease New Yorkers of the quake regarding potential damages in Manhattan.

“We don’t expect an earthquake of this magnitude to have any impact on our facilities,” Sheridan said.