On Friday morning, at around 10:30 a.m. ET., a substantial earthquake was reported to have hit the Eastern United States, going from Maryland to Maine.
The U.S. Geological Survey recorded it to be a 4.8-magnitude quake that was centered near Lebanon, New Jersey, making it the biggest quake recorded in the Northeast in over a decade.
While no major damage or injuries have been reported thus far, the earthquake has nevertheless disrupted the affected areas. Local officials have launched inspections to ensure the integrity of buildings, bridges, and other critical infrastructure, with some transportation disruptions reported as a precautionary measure.
“This was the craziest thing I’ve ever experienced,” said James Pittinger, the mayor of Lebanon, describing how the shaking caused his dog to flee and objects to fall from his shelves.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul and New York City Mayor Eric Adams have also acknowledged the quake on X, with Hochul stating that her team is assessing any potential impacts.
The Northeast is not known for its seismic activity, in contrast to the more earthquake-prone regions of the West Coast. As a result, the area’s buildings and infrastructure are not typically designed to withstand significant shaking, making even a moderate quake potentially more disruptive than it would be elsewhere.
The earthquake was reported to have originated from the Ramapo fault system, an old and largely inactive tectonic boundary where the continental and oceanic plates meet. While major quakes along this fault are rare, the slow accumulation of stress can occasionally result in small to moderate tremors, like the one experienced today.
