The US Geological Survey reported that an earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 4.8 shook the densely populated New York City metropolitan area on Friday morning. The quake was felt across the eastern seaboard, which is a relatively rare event for the region. The epicenter was initially reported near Lebanon, New Jersey, and later near Tewksbury and Whitehouse Station, all within a 10-mile radius in Hunterdon county.
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The quake was felt in the states of Connecticut and Massachusetts, and tremors lasting for several seconds were felt more than 200 miles away near the New Hampshire border. Over a dozen aftershocks were reported in the region, including a 4.0-magnitude quake early on Friday evening, according to the USGS.
The New York fire department reported no initial damage or injury. However, city dwellers were shocked and a little shaken up by the unexpected event. People were left jittery about aftershocks and were busily checking in with friends and family, briefly putting a high load onto cellphone networks, the city authorities reported.
The New York police department’s deputy commissioner of operations, Kaz Daughtry, said in a statement: “While we do not have any reports of major impacts at this time, we’re still assessing the impact.”
The UN security council was meeting at its headquarters in New York to discuss the situation in Gaza when the earthquake hit, shaking the building.
“New Yorkers should go about their normal day,” said the mayor, Eric Adams, but the governor, Kathy Hochul, said in a press conference that the quake was felt as far away as Baltimore, Maryland. “This is one of the largest earthquakes on the east coast to occur in the last century,” she said.
“Everyone should continue to take this seriously” in case of aftershocks, she added.
2024-04-05 17:40:32
Post from www.theguardian.com