BREAKING NEWS: Earthquake Shakes Tri-State Area
Map of the earthquake's epicenter courtesy of USGS.
BY DANIEL WINNER | AC JosepH Media Correspondent
This Friday morning at 10:23 a.m., a 4.8 magnitude earthquake was felt across the Northeastern U.S. The epicenter of the event occurred about seven kilometers, or 4.3 miles from White House Station in Hunterdon County, New Jersey.
The earthquake had a depth of approximately 3 miles, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Quakes could be felt by residents of New York City, Baltimore, and Philadelphia.
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy responded nearly 30 minutes after the incident in a post on Twitter/X.
Earthquakes are not terribly uncommon in the Garden State, and the one felt this morning was relatively minor (between 4.0 and 4.9), especially compared to the one that recently hit Hualien City in Taiwan, which was a whopping 7.4 magnitude. New Jersey usually experiences magnitudes of 2.5 to 2.8, which are hardly noticeable to the average person.
The last major earthquake felt in New Jersey happened in 2011, originating in central Virginia with a magnitude of 5.8. That is still considered moderate on the Richter scale, but just a few numbers away from potential devastation. In 2020, another earthquake hit Central Jersey with a 3.1 magnitude.
NJ Transit, PATCO and Amtrak were delayed, although SEPTA and PHL Airport were barely affected. Airport runways closed for inspection for only 10 minutes.
Buildings throughout impacted cities were rattled, but no reports of significant damage or injuries have yet to surface. Aftershocks are expected, but are likely to go unnoticed.
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