Lebanon, N.J., mayor says earthquake was ‘craziest thing I’ve ever experienced’
The mayor of Lebanon, New Jersey — a borough close to the earthquake's epicenter — said the temblor was so strong, it knocked objects off the shelves in his home.
"Quite frankly, I'm still a little shaken up here," Mayor James Pittinger told MSNBC this morning.
"Everything just started falling off the shelves," he said. "My dog ran for cover. It was the craziest thing I’ve ever experienced."
Ground stops issued JFK and Newark airports
The Federal Aviation Administration issued ground stops at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey and John F. Kennedy International Airport in Queens, New York City, because of the earthquake.
The one at JFK was later lifted.
Newark said there were flight disruptions as of Friday afternoon.
"Recent earthquake activity in the area have caused #EWR Airport flight disruptions. Please check with your airline to determine the status of your flight," the airport posted on X.
Earlier, the FAA said it will have to inspect runways before lifting the ground stop.
New Jersey activates state emergency operations center
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said in a post on X today that the state has activated its emergency operations center in response to the earthquake.
He said the epicenter of the temblor was near Readington in Hunterdon County.
Gov. Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania also said the quake was felt in parts of his state, saying his team is monitoring the situation and is in contact with counties about damage.
MTA says no delays after quake
New York City's Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which runs the city's buses and trains, says there's no impact to service after the quake shook the Big Apple.
Teams are likely to go out and inspect train lines today, a spokesperson said.
Past earthquakes to hit the Northeast
A 3.8-magnitude earthquake struck Feb. 6, 2023, near Buffalo, New York — then the strongest recorded in the area in 40 years.
A 4.1 earthquake was felt in the tri-state area Nov. 30, 2017, centered near Little Creek, Delaware, according to the USGS.
A 5.8-magnitude quake rattled central Virginia in 2011, and was felt across much of the East Coast, forcing hundreds of thousands of people to evacuate buildings in New York, Washington and other cities.
There were also 4.6- and 4.5-magnitude earthquakes in the 1990s in Pennsylvania and a 5.3-magnitude earthquake near Au Sable Forks, New York, in April 2002, according to USGS records.
USGS says earthquake was a 4.8 temblor
The USGS tentatively measured today's quake as a 4.8 temblor near Whitehouse Station, New Jersey. It struck a little before 10:30 a.m. ET.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said the quake "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," she said.
'I am fine': Empire State Building says
As X was flooded with tweets about the quake felt in New York City early today, the 102-story Empire State Building made light of the situation.
"I am fine," someone posted on the building's official account.
