OAN’s James Meyers
10:50 AM -Friday, April 5, 2024
An earthquake struck the New York area on Friday morning, causing buildings to shake and putting many New Yorkers and New Jersey residents into a frenzy.
The US Geological Survey reported that the quake had a preliminary magnitude of 4.8, and that it centered near Lebanon, New Jersey.
The temblor hit parts of New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New Jersey.
Additionally, it was reported by the Weather Channel that the quake was felt in Boston and Philadelphia.
Tremors lasted several seconds and were felt more than 200 miles away near the New Hampshire Border.
“I was doing my morning reporting, and this safe in my office, that’s a ton, starts shaking. The whole room is shaking,” said Monique Horton, who works at the Balmain store on Madison Avenue in Manhattan. “I was just freaked out. Scary, really scary. I’m a New Yorker, my whole life, 36 years, never seen anything like it.”
The New York Fire Department (NYFD) announced on Friday that there were no initial reports of damage yet.
When it comes to travel, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) told airlines to expect flight delays in and out of New York due to the earthquake. According to FlightAware, some flights bound for New York have already been rerouted to other airports.
Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey also issued ground stops.
42 million people reportedly felt the effects of the earthquake, according to the US Geological Survey.
It was also reported by multiple outlets that Bedminister, New Jersey, received a 2.0 aftershock. Meanwhile, the amount of damage from the quake is still not clear.
“My team is assessing impacts and any damage that may have occurred, and we will update the public throughout the day,” New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D-N.Y.) said.
“This is one of the largest earthquakes on the east coast to occur in the last century,” she added.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams (D-N.Y.) announced that he has not seen any major impacts from the quake.
“While we do not have any reports of major impacts at this time, we’re still assessing the impact,” Adams’ office stated.
The last major earthquake to take place on the east coast was on August 23rd, 2011, which hit millions of people all the way from Georgia to Canada. The earthquake registered a 5.8 magnitude, which was the strongest at the time since World War II.
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