Magnitude 4.0 aftershock hits New Jersey after magnitude 4.8 earthquake shakes Northeast (video)

An earthquake struck the northeastern United States on Friday morning – and a strong aftershock occurred in the early evening, about eight hours later.

According to the US Geological Survey, the first quake, measuring 4.8 magnitude, struck seven kilometers north of Whitehouse Station, New Jersey, about 50 miles west of New York City, at a depth of 4.7 kilometers. It was felt as far south as Washington, DC and as far north as Boston.

The USGS reported that the aftershock had a magnitude of 4.0 shortly after 6 p.m. ET and was centered near Gladstone, New Jersey

🚨 Which services were affected?

Ground stops were ordered at numerous airports, including Newark, JFK and Baltimore/Washington (in Maryland) while crews assessed possible structural damage. New Jersey Transit said train service was experiencing delays of up to 20 minutes in both directions.due to bridge inspections“after the earthquake.

However, there were no service disruptions to Amtrak or the New York City subway system.

🫨 What people felt

Many New York City residents reported on social media that their homes were shaking.

CBS News anchor Anne-Marie Green said, “It felt like a subway was going through the studio.”

“This was my second earthquake in Manhattan and longer than any earthquake I’ve experienced in LA,” MSNBC host Lawrence O’Donnell wrote on X.

📢 What the officials say

The White House said President Biden has been briefed on the earthquake and the administration is in contact with federal, state and local officials.

At a news conference, New York City Mayor Eric Adams said there were no reports of damage and that his team was still assessing the impact. The chance of aftershocks is low, Adams said, but New Yorkers should remain vigilant and follow safety precautions.

“We are prepared for the unexpected,” the mayor added. “This is New York City.”

The city broadcast an emergency alert at 11:02 a.m. — about 40 minutes after the earthquake struck. A second warning warned New York City residents of possible aftershocks.

At an earlier briefing, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said her team was continuing to assess critical infrastructure, including roads and bridges, for possible damage.

Hochul said that she had been in contact with the White House and that a U.S. Department of Homeland Security official who had made contact told her that he suspected the Baltimore earthquake.

“It was a pretty disturbing day to say the least,” Hochul said.

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said his office had activated the state’s emergency operations center to assess possible damage.

“Please do not call 911 unless there is an actual emergency,” Murphy added.

As Biden left the White House en route to Baltimore to meet with first responders and the families of victims of last week’s bridge collapse, he spoke to reporters and said he had spoken with Murphy about the earthquake.

“He believes everything is under control,” Biden said. “The governor of New Jersey isn’t too worried about it, so it’s all good.”

🔎 How common are earthquakes in the Northeast?

“Earthquakes are unusual, but not unheard of, along the Atlantic coast,” the US Geological Survey said in a post on X.

According to the Geological Survey, Friday’s magnitude 4.8 earthquake was the strongest earthquake to hit New Jersey in nearly 250 years.

But Scott Brandenberg, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at the UCLA Samueli School of Engineering, told Yahoo News that Friday’s earthquake is probably not an indication that earthquake activity is increasing in the region in the longer term.

The quake came two days after a magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck Taiwan. At least nine people died, nearly 1,000 were injured and hundreds more were trapped.