Several smaller earthquakes shook the area of New York and New Jersey after a 4.8 magnitude one. earthquake Friday morning, as reported by officials.
New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy mentioned that there was another aftershock on Friday evening at about 6 p.m. and advised to follow emergency guidance. said in a post on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, on Friday evening around 6 p.m. “Please follow the emergency guidance below and avoid calling 911 unless you have an actual emergency.”
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) reported Friday evening that a New Jersey aftershock with a 4.0 magnitude happened at 5:59 p.m., with its epicenter a little over four miles southwest of Gladstone.
The significant evening aftershock followed smaller aftershocks that happened earlier in the day.
“After the 4.8 magnitude earthquake this morning, our region experienced three smaller aftershocks: 1.8 magnitude at 12:31pm, 2.0 magnitude at 1:14pm, and 2.0 magnitude a few minutes ago,” said New York Governor Kathy Hochul (D) in a post earlier Friday afternoon.
“Aftershocks of these sizes are normal and are not expected to cause further damage,” added Hochul.
The 4.8 magnitude earthquake in the morning was felt as far as Philadelphia and Boston, with ground stops issued at Newark Liberty International and John F. Kennedy International Airports.
Earthquakes are rare on the East Coast of the U.S. and are more common in the western part of the country due to tectonic plate movement, often causing shaking in places like California and Washington state.
New York City Emergency Management reported no major damage following the Friday evening aftershock.
“Call 911 for life safety issues & 311 for non-emergencies,” the agency advised. “Check in on your family & friends, especially those who are vulnerable & have accessibility & functionality issues.”
Updated at 6:50 p.m. EST.
