April 5, 2024
Shook! New York, Tri-State Area Hit With 4.8 Earthquake
The epicenter was in Lebanon, New Jersey, about 50 miles west of Manhattan, according to the United States Geological Survey.
An earthquake hit the New York City/New Jersey area on April 5 at approximately 10:20 a.m.
According to The New York Times, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) reported that the magnitude registered at 4.8 on the Richter Scale. The epicenter was in Lebanon, N.J., about 50 miles west of Manhattan, and was felt as far south as Philadelphia and up north up to Boston. The New York City Mayor’s office sent a message informing New Yorkers about the earthquake.
New York City just felt the impacts of a 4.8 magnitude earthquake with an epicenter of Lebanon, New Jersey. @NYCMayor is being briefed. While we do not have any reports of major impacts at this time, we’re still assessing the impact.
— NYC Mayor’s Office (@NYCMayorsOffice) April 5, 2024
CNBC also reported that incoming flights at the three major airports in the area (JFK Airport and LaGuardia Airport in Queens, New York, and Newark Liberty Airport in New Jersey) were being diverted from landing, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The agency also grounded all airplanes at the airports.
A spokesman for New York City Mayor Eric Adams confirmed that the earthquake had no major impact. New York State Gov. Kathy Hochul also took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to inform New Yorkers that the state is assessing the earthquake’s impact to see if any damage was caused.
A 4.8 magnitude earthquake hit west of Manhattan and has been felt throughout New York.
My team is assessing impacts and any damage that may have occurred, and we will update the public throughout the day.
— Governor Kathy Hochul (@GovKathyHochul) April 5, 2024
As rare as earthquakes are in the region, this was the second one this year. In January, a magnitude 1.7 earthquake struck near Astoria, Queens, according to USGS.