Small Earthquake, Aftershock Rattle New York

An earthquake struck New York, momentarily halting flights and causing buildings across the city to tremble on Friday, but resulted in no injuries and left the city’s famous skyline unharmed.

The Empire State Building humorously reassured everyone of its safety through a post on its X account, amid the city’s minor panic.

The quake, registering a magnitude of 4.8 according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), had its epicenter in Lebanon, New Jersey. Dominika Uniejewska, a retail worker from the area, expressed her shock at the intensity of the quake, describing it as unlike any she had experienced before, with her house and belongings vigorously shaking.

In Brooklyn, the tremors caused a stir among residents, unsettling furniture and sparking fear. Ana Villagran, a local, shared her anxiety with reporters.

An aftershock of magnitude 4.0 occurred shortly before 6:00 pm (2200 GMT), leading the Empire State Building to once again announce its status humorously online.

The unexpected seismic activity even interrupted a U.N. Security Council meeting, prompting a brief pause and some light-hearted comments among attendees.

Following the quake, emergency alerts advised residents to stay indoors and contact emergency services if necessary. Flight operations at several regional airports, including New York’s La Guardia and Newark in New Jersey, were temporarily suspended but later resumed.

The quake was felt from Philadelphia through New York and into Long Island, with social media users making light of the situation with humorous posts about minor damages.

The USGS explained that while earthquakes are rare on the Atlantic Coast due to the lack of an active plate boundary, they are not unheard of, with moderate ones occurring every couple of centuries and smaller ones felt every few years.

President Joe Biden received updates on the event, while social media speculation amusingly linked the earthquake to the upcoming solar eclipse on April 8, suggesting it could be an omen.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul addressed the public, acknowledging the unusual nature of earthquakes in the area and urging caution for any potential aftershocks.