An earthquake centered near Lebanon, N.J., shook New Jersey and areas along the East Coast on Friday morning. The earthquake registered at a 4.8 magnitude, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, and was located about 4 miles northeast of Whitehouse Station. It shook New Jersey and areas beyond at 10:23 a.m. and had a depth of about 3 miles, the U.S. Geological Survey said.
New Jerseyans throughout the state felt the quake, saying it shook their homes and apartments and some said it sounded like a cross between a loud truck and intense hurricane-like wind. A resident of Whitehouse Station, just a few miles from where the quake was centered, said she was “really rattled” after her home shook and pictures fell off the wall. “This was too close for comfort,” she said.
The earthquake was felt beyond New Jersey in areas along the East Coast, including New York City and Long Island, and parts of Delaware, Maryland, Connecticut and areas of Massachusetts and New Hampshire. “Our region just experienced an earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 4.7, with an epicenter near Readington in Hunterdon County,” Gov. Phil Murphy said on social media. “We have activated our State Emergency Operations Center. Please do not call 911 unless you have an actual emergency.” The quake also briefly halted flight traffic as flights were briefly diverted from landing as scheduled.
After the 4.8 magnitude earthquake, a smaller 2.0 magnitude earthquake was detected with an epicenter seven kilometers west of Bedminster, New Jersey, according to the USGS.
Police departments all over the state reported getting flooded with calls hence the plea to not call 911 unless there is an emergency. “The USGS is reporting an earthquake in the area of northern NJ. Please only call 911 if you have a police, fire or medical emergency,” the Paramus Police Department shared on social media and via an emergency town alert.
The 4.8 earthquake is among the strongest to ever hit the Garden State. There have been four historic earthquakes that caused damage in NJ: 1737 (New York City), 1783 (west of New York City), 1884 (New York City), and 1927 (New Jersey coast near Asbury), according to nj.gov.
U.S.G.S. estimates that Friday morning’s quake might have been felt by more than 42 million people. There is no known damage from the earthquake at this point. Municipalities throughout NJ sent alerts to their residents following the quake. “The USGS advises that a 4.8 magnitude earthquake could result in aftershocks during the next 24 hours, so please avoid risky activities like climbing ladders, etc.” an alert from Verona Township said.
For more on what to do after an earthquake to stay safe, go to the USGS’s page.