Live updates: 4.8-magnitude earthquake rumbles New Jersey, NYC, Boston and Philadelphia

There have been at least a dozen aftershocks following this morning’s earthquake, a U.S. Geological Survey geophysicist said.

Though they can revive fear triggered by the initial temblor, they can also serve as reminders of the decreasing possibility a larger quake will strike, geophysicist Timothy Clements said.

"The likelihood of larger earthquake happening is going down with time," said Clements, a California-based former Harvard earth and planetary science researcher.

Today's aftershocks include the 4.0 magnitude temblor just before 6 p.m. and at least 11 others, which registered at least magnitude 1.8 on the Richter scale, Clements said.

There may have been more aftershocks, but they were not detected if they were under magnitude 1.8, he said.

Earthquakes near the epicenter are considered an aftershock for a year or up to five years, Clements said. Shakers away from the epicenter can be considered their own quakes.

And anything with a larger magnitude in the same location will be its own earthquake, and today's 4.8-magnitude quake will be redesignated as a foreshock, according to the USGS.

EarthCam video footage shows the Statue of Liberty trembling during the earthquake this morning.

A 4.0-magnitude aftershock was recorded this afternoon, triggering a fresh wave of social media posts.

According to the USGS, the 4.0-magnitude temblor occurred 4.3 miles southwest of Gladstone, New Jersey, at 5:59 p.m. ET.

Shortly after, Gov. Phil Murphy said on X that New Jersey "just experienced an aftershock."

New York City Emergency Management said it “experienced shaking in our facility” around that time.

The Empire State Building seemed to notice the shaking as well.

As those in the New York tri-state area attempt to make sense of the 4.8-magnitude earthquake that rumbled residents on Friday morning, many transplants from quake-prone areas aren’t processing the rare temblor with the same degree of shock. 

Many whose loved ones are from Taiwan, which just experienced a massive 7.4-magnitude quake, as well as those from California, where the seismic events are a regular occurrence, weren’t fazed by the tremor that shook parts of the East Coast.

“As someone who’s from the West Coast, I was very much like, ‘Oh, this is an earthquake,’” said Cameron Kim, who hails from the Bay Area. “I didn’t hear the pictures on the wall rattle so for me, that’s usually a good indicator of how big the shake is.” 

However, after seeing confusion and uncertainty from those around them, several pointed out that the lack of government preparedness and safety instruction is undeniable. 

Read the full story here.

When the earthquake shook his New York City store this morning, Kerry Colley had an idea: Why not sell some merchandise to commemorate the event?

About 10 minutes later, Colley said, he had tees for sale in his Upper West Side store, Big Frog Custom T-Shirts & More. The shirts, which read "I SURVIVED THE NYC EARTHQUAKE" and have today's date on them, immediately attracted attention on social media and brought in customers.

"We are a little slammed," Colley said in a phone interview Friday afternoon, adding that he has sold an estimated 100 shirts already.

So yes, by West Coast standards, a 4.8-magnitude earthquake might not seem like something to get too ruffled about. A quick look at the memes dominating the internet the past few hours attest to that. But, for those in the tri-state area less accustomed to such rumblings, Friday’s unexpected turbulence still came as something of a jolt. A few people shared their experiences with NBC News.

“Our whole home shook in New Jersey,” Jon Seiler said. “My kids were in their bedrooms. My son saw bobbleheads shaking. We were in the kitchen and felt it shaking. Everybody kind of ran to the center of the house, and we all kind of stood there not knowing what was going on.”

Seiler added: “We felt it, it was a crazy noise, we thought first it was from outside. Thought that there was construction happening across the street ... maybe something dropped over there. We all just kind of stood in the center and kind of held on to a wall, and braced ourselves and kind of stood there. My kids’ hearts were racing, and it was a wild little moment. Unforgettable for the kids for sure.”

Nadine Rizzo was sitting at her desk when the earth started to move underneath her feet.

The magnitude-4.8 earthquake that shook the Northeast this morning was the strongest earthquake to hit the East Coast since a 5.8-magnitude quake struck Virginia in 2011. 

That earthquake forced evacuations of buildings in New York; Washington, D.C.; and other cities, and it disrupted air and train traffic across the Northeast and mid-Atlantic. Parts of the Pentagon, White House and U.S. Capitol were among the areas evacuated. The Washington Monument was damaged as a result.

Residents near the quake's center recalled the moment the 4.8-magnitude temblor hit this morning.

Amy Hoffman, 23, of Lebanon, was in her room getting ready for work when, she said, her house started to shake and she heard a "really loud" sound.

“When my house initially started to shake, I actually thought it was a helicopter flying overhead,” she said. “A couple of pictures fell off my wall and it felt like it lasted forever.”

A monitoring network that could help researchers pinpoint the exact location and nature of today's earthquake was not operating at full capacity when the quake struck.

Felix Waldhauser, a professor at the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, said that the USGS in 2019 cut funding for the system, known as the Lamont-Doherty Cooperative Seismographic Network. The network once had 45 stations collecting seismic data across the Northeast, but it's now down to about 20 operational stations, Waldhouser said.

“In an ideal world, we would have our network running and recording data and analyzing the data, figuring out where exactly the event was,” he said. “But we were cut off from funding for our network here.”

The Ramapo fault zone, where researchers think the earthquake took place, is difficult to interpret. It was not immediately clear which specific fault line the earthquake ruptured on.

“The fault zone itself is complicated and not well understood, mainly because we don’t get many earthquakes,” Waldhauser said. “The instrument coverage we have here is not very good."

The chief executive of the nonprofit organization Save The Children was briefing an emergency Security Council session this morning on Gaza when things at the meeting got shaky — literally.

As Janti Soeripto spoke, meeting attendees looked around the room and at each other. Today's earthquake was making the room at the United Nations headquarters in New York City shake.

Soeripto paused.

"Is that an earthquake?" she asked.

"You're making the ground shake!" someone quipped back.

More earthquakes could hit the New Jersey area in the coming weeks, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. 

Sara McBride, a research social scientist with the USGS, said that at least two aftershocks have been reported so far following this morning’s magnitude-4.8 quake. She said USGS researchers’ aftershock forecasts suggests there is a small chance of an even stronger earthquake in the coming weeks. 

“There’s a 3% chance for one or four aftershocks larger than a magnitude-5 in the coming weeks. A larger than magnitude-5 can be damaging,” McBride said. 

She explained that the aftershock forecast is calculated using statistical data from thousands of past earthquakes of similar size. It’s a generic model, and not specific to the New Jersey region. 

Jessica Jobe, a USGS research geologist, said there have been at least three magnitude-5 earthquakes in the region since the 1700s. 

“This is a region with many older faults that may be reactivated at any time at this time. The fault that causes the earthquake isn’t yet known,” she said. 

The New Jersey county where the earthquake struck this morning has sustained some structural damage to private property but has received no reports of injuries so far, according to officials.

The magnitude-4.8 earthquake struck near Lebanon shortly before 10:30 a.m. ET and was followed by two aftershocks, Brayden Fahey, Hunterdon County’s Office of Emergency Management coordinator, said at a news conference.

Authorities are assessing the damage and do not yet have a sense of how many properties may have been affected. But there have not been reports of any issues with gas or other utility lines, officials said.

"I think all of us collectively were jarred by what we experienced," Fahey said. “All of us probably feel very fortunate that there’s not more damage and more issues facing us."

Shortly after the earthquake, Faces Of Haiti, a social media account for Haitian people, posted that the tremors might “bring severe PTSD in the following days” for those who experienced the devastatingly deadly quake in 2010. “Keep checking on your loved ones’ mental health in the Tri-State area, even when they say they are ok.”

Almost immediately, followers shared their experiences this morning as the earthquake rippled down the East Coast. 

“Thank you for this. I was the first in my workplace to understand what was happening, and I’m the last one to be over it,” one person wrote in a comment on the post. “Still shaking typing this.”

"you and I both," another user responded. "I screamed right away, ‘It’s an earthquake, it’s an earthquake, guys,’ and my coworkers were calm about it and didn’t say anything. My heart was racing, and I was thinking about the nearest exit. Nahhhhh. We don’t play that over here. I had enough in 2010. Whatever the magnitude is, I’m traumatized for life.”

“Thank you for acknowledging and sharing this message," one person wrote. "Haiti was the first image in my mind once I realized what I was experiencing as everything around me was shaking/rattling.”

“My sisters called me crying and scared,” said another.

In 2010, a 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck Haiti, leaving its capital, Port-au-Prince, in ruins. An estimated 220,000 people were killed, some 300,000 people were injured, and 1.3 million lost their homes during the 35-second temblor.

The earth shook for a second time this morning.

Though it was subtle, a second earthquake hit the New Jersey area at about 11:20 a.m., according to U.S. Geological Survey data.

The aftershock registered as a magnitude 2.0. It was roughly 4 miles west of Bedminster, New Jersey.

There have been no major damage or injuries reported in the state in today's earthquake, Connecticut emergency officials said during a news conference this afternoon.

However, officials are still working with state agencies to ensure there are no threats to buildings or critical infrastructure. Deputy Commissioner Brenda Bergeron said that the state's Transportation Department is also doing visual inspections of bridges and critical infrastructure critical bridge infrastructure "in an abundance of caution."

"We are not seeing any significant damage but we are in partial activation and continuing to work with our state local, federal and private sector partners on making sure that everyone is safe and sound," Bergeron said.

No power outages or damage have been detected in connection with today’s quake, according to PSE&G, the energy utility that serves New Jersey.

The company said it completed initial system inspections of its electric infrastructure.

“As part of our earthquake response protocol, we are currently performing a strategic system check of our electric and natural gas infrastructure near the epicenter, Tewksbury,” PSE&G said. “The safety of our customers and employees is the number one priority.”

A 4.8-magnitude earthquake on the Atlantic coast is "a little unusual, but it happens from time to time," science educator Bill Nye told MSNBC.

"It just shows you everybody the importance of being prepared," he said.

Nye encouraged people to secure their cabinet doors and keep flashlights, food and water on hand in case of an electricity outage.

All NYC Health + Hospitals facilities are operating normally, the system said in a post on X.

"All our patients & staff are safe, and we are not seeing an increase in volume at our emergency departments," the hospital added in the post.

Structural damage at multiple addresses led to evacuations in Newark, New Jersey, the city's public safety director said.

While the epicenter of the earthquake was more than 30 miles away from Newark, firefighters responded to 313, 315 and 317 7th Avenue, which were impacted by the quake, Fritz Fragé said.

"As a result of this incident, 10 families, comprising 25 adults and three children, have been relocated from these buildings," he added.

All city buildings, including City Hall and recreation centers, are closed. The closures do not affect police and fire facilities.

"The city is currently inspecting buildings for any potential damage and power outages," Fragé said.

JetBlue said flights have resumed after the FAA issued brief ground stops at some New York area airports.

“We expect mostly normal operations to continue with a small number of delays as a result of a pause in air traffic control operations," the airline said in a statement.

Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey said there were flight disruptions as of this afternoon, and advised people to check their flight status with their individual airlines.

Delta Air Lines said that it was also experiencing minor departure delays, but did not anticipate cancellations.

This morning’s earthquake was captured live on Philadelphia’s 93.3 WMMR radio show, “The Preston & Steve Show.” 

The show shared footage from its Philadelphia office at 10:23 a.m. ET, showing mic booms shaking. 

“Did you feel the room shake?” co-host Kathy Romano asked. 

“Are we having an earthquake?” another host, Nick McIlwain, asked.

“You’re right. I feel my butt kind of moving a little bit. Look at my microphone, it was waggling a little bit there,” host Preston Elliot said.

Co-host Steve Morrison wondered if it could have been construction going on in the building. 

Then the hosts started reading texts from friends and messages sent in to the show confirming it was an earthquake felt well beyond the city. 

"That's the second earthquake I've ever felt," Elliot said.

Surveillance video from a coffee shop in Boonton, New Jersey, about 35 miles southwest of the earthquake's epicenter, shows customers' terrified reactions as the quake hit. Many rush out of Boonton Coffee Co. in one video and another clip shows a young girl yelling, "I don't want to die!"

Delta Air Lines flights are moving normally, a spokesperson said, with the exception of two flights bound for Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey, which were diverted elsewhere.

The airline is experiencing "some minor departure delays but we expect to absorb those without any cancelation effect at this time," said Morgan Durrant, a Delta spokesperson.

The company has not received any reports of damage or injuries, he added.

Newark airport reported flight disruptions on Friday afternoon.

“Please check with your airline to determine the status of your flight,” the airport said in a statement on X.

The American Museum of Natural History said it has not identified any damage to museum artifacts, but is doing a full inspection.

The Guggenheim Museum has not sustained any damages or interruptions to museum operations, either.

The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) said it’s operating as usual.

“Our security staff and engineers have conducted facilities wide patrols and found no damage to MoMA’s infrastructure. Registrar, art handling, and conservation teams have reported no issues seen in the galleries, conservation labs, or art storage," the museum said in a statement.

Maggie Fairs, vice president of external affairs for the Philadelphia Museum of Art, said the museum has protections in place for events such as earthquakes.

"There was no damage to the artwork at the museum from today’s earthquake," Fairs said. "As you can imagine with the collection such as ours, safeguards are in place to ensure the safety and well-being of the museum’s art collection."

The Federal Emergency Management Agency's Region 8 said there is a known earthquake risk in New Jersey, according to a post on X.

"While many folks may have been caught off guard by the #earthquake in New Jersey on Friday, you may be surprised to know there is a known earthquake risk in that area," the post read.

Monica Hlinka, who lives in Whitehouse Station, near the epicenter of this morning’s earthquake, said her “whole house shook for 45 seconds.”

Hlinka was working from home when she thought "something hit my house."

"It just kept going. The house just kept shaking," she told NBC News. "I was looking around my office, things were falling off my shelves, books were falling off, pictures frames."

"I've never experienced anything like that and it was insane to say the least," she added.

Hlinka said that she felt another temblor last month — a 2.2-magnitude quake on March 15 centered north, northeast of Whitehouse Station.

"When that occurred, it felt like something really big had fallen in my house, When it happened today, I thought the same thing was happening but then it just kept happening and I was like, OK, this is actually an earthquake."

The hashtags “earthquake,” “epicenter,” and “NY and NJ” were trending on X today with locals through the tri-state area freaking out over the quake.

All students in New York City's public schools are safe after the earthquake, and there are no reports of structural damage to any schools, said David Banks, New York City's public schools chancellor.

Speaking at a news conference along with NYC Mayor Eric Adams and emergency management officials, Banks said that "at this moment, there is no indication that any of our buildings were compromised."

He praised facilities staff for quickly and thoroughly inspecting school buildings and said parents do not need to pick their children up early from school. Principals have been instructed to hold regular dismissals and after-school programs will operate normally.

Banks encouraged parents to not be anxious.

"We ask the school staff and families to remain calm and to model that for all of our students," he said.

While earthquakes are uncommon on the East Coast, when they do strike, they are felt widely, said William Yeck, a research geophysicist at the U.S. Geological Survey.

“Because of the geology of the region, the seismic waves propagate much further, so people can feel them further away,” Yeck said.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which provides bus, subway and commuter rail service in greater New York, said it was business as usual as of this afternoon.

"MTA services are operating safely and normally following the 4.8 magnitude earthquake felt throughout our region this morning," it posted on X. "Initial inspections show there was no damage to any MTA infrastructure, but we will continue to monitor the situation closely. Thank you for riding with us."

Gov. Phil Murphy is not in New Jersey today, according to his public schedule.

The New Jersey governor was scheduled to depart the state yesterday for a Democratic Governors Association meeting. He is set to return tomorrow morning, according to his public schedule.

However, Murphy did speak with President Joe Biden today about the earthquake, according to a statement from the White House. The White House added that Biden is in touch with state and local officials and will provide assistance if needed.

While Murphy is away, Lt. Gov. Tahesha Way is serving as acting governor, the schedule noted.

There have been no reports of major impacts to infrastructure or injuries so far in New York City from the earthquake, Mayor Eric Adams and emergency management officials said at a news conference this afternoon.

While aftershocks are possible, "New Yorkers should go about their normal day," Adams said. "First responders are working to make sure the city is safe."

Officials encouraged everyone to check in on their loved ones and neighbors to make sure everyone is OK. The likelihood of aftershocks at this point is low, but if you feel one, drop to the floor and cover your head and neck, officials said.

Adams said that because earthquakes don't happen frequently in the area, "this can be extremely traumatic for New Yorkers." But, he added: "We are ready for the unexpected. This is New York City and we responded accordingly."

This morning's earthquake occurred on a shallow fault system in New Jersey and shook for about 35 seconds, a Princeton seismologist said.

“The shallower or the closer it is, the more we feel it as humans,” said Frederik J. Simons, a professor of geosciences at Princeton University.

The quake originated at a depth of less than 3 miles, according to USGS. 

Earthquakes on the East Coast can be felt at a great distance and can cause more pronounced shaking in comparison to those on the West Coast because rocks in the region are often older, harder and more dense.  

“These are competent rocks that transmit energy well,” Simons said.

The earthquake ruptured on the Ramapo fault system, he said. The system is relatively old and considered mostly tectonically inactive. It's at a boundary where the continental and oceanic tectonic plates meet and are stuck together. The plates grind against one another slowly and accumulate stress until something slips.

“There are cracks in it and now and then a little motion accumulates, the stress keeps growing, at very slow rates,” Simons said. “It’s like an old house creaking and groaning.”

He said this was one of the largest earthquakes in New Jersey in recent history. The last notable one was a magnitude-3.1 temblor in Freehold Township in September 2020. 

“I’m on campus at Princeton University for the biggest one I’ve felt in a lifetime,” he said. “This shaking was violent, strong and long.”

Videos circulating online appear to show the moment today's quake hit the East Coast.

In one, a man recording himself playing his guitar captured the moment the quake hit.

A Long Island electrician said he was working when the earthquake struck.

"I just felt like we were close to where a train was, like a railroad," he said. "You know, just shaking in the legs. That's about it. We didn't really think much of it."

The electrician said he planned to "get back to work," after the quake, adding that he wasn't even sure it was an earthquake until after he received a text confirming the area had been hit by one.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said the state hasn't felt an earthquake of today's magnitude since 2011, calling it one of the biggest to shake the East Coast in the last century.

"We’re taking this extremely seriously and here’s why. There’s always the possibility of aftershocks," she said.

Structural and damage assessment teams are checking bridges, state roads, major transmission lines and dams and thus far "we haven’t identified any life-threatening situations." The state has also been in contact with utility companies, cell service companies and hospitals and all systems appear to be running as normal.

She noted that while there may be general anxiety in the wake of the Taiwan 7.4-magnitude earthquake this week, today's 4.8 temblor was significantly smaller and weaker.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey closed the Holland Tunnel briefly today for inspections following the earthquake.

The tunnel was closed at about 11 a.m. ET and the PANYNJ announced its reopening on X at about 11:15 a.m. ET.

The agency said that all lanes were again open for passage through the tunnel and no damage was reported in the tunnel.

The earthquake that rumbled this morning was the strongest in almost 250 years and the third-strongest for the state in 280 years of record-keeping.

The only two stronger ones were a 5.2-magnitude quake in 1737 and a 5.3 temblor in 1783, according to state data.

Amtrak customers should expect delays in the wake of today's quake, the company said.

"Amtrak regrets any inconvenience," the company added in a statement on its website and on its social media accounts.

Reports to the U.S. Geological Survey and the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre suggest that people felt the shaking as far north as New England, including northern parts of Vermont and New Hampshire.

Both Verizon and AT&T say their networks are running without interruption following the earthquake.

Verizon said there have been no reported problems with phone services or on stores or employees, while AT&T said its wireless network is "operating normally in areas affected by the earthquake."

Flying debris is a major source of injury during an earthquake. Here are some of the best ways to protect yourself during a quake, according to Ready.gov, a U.S. government-run site that helps people prepare for and respond to emergencies and disasters:

• Stay where you are. If you are inside when the shaking starts, stay indoors and resist the urge to run outside. Avoid doorways. If you are outside, stay away from buildings. If you are driving, pull over and set your parking brake.
• Drop, cover and hold on. Wherever you are, drop to your hands and knees to best protect your vital organs and hold onto something sturdy. Then, cover your head and neck with your arms. If there is a sturdy table or desk nearby, crawl underneath it for shelter. Finally, hold onto the table or desk with one hand and be ready to move with it if it moves during the shaking.
• If you use a wheelchair or walker, lock your wheelchair or walker wheels and cover your head and neck with your hands.
• Be prepared for aftershocks. Be ready to drop, cover and hold on should there be any aftershocks immediately following the earthquake.
• Be ready for future quakes or other emergencies. Make an emergency communications plan that has an out-of-state contact on it. Plan where you will meet loved ones if you get separated. And have a supply kit that includes several days' worth of food and water, a flashlight, a fire extinguisher and a whistle.

The New York City Police Department’s transit chief said there are "no current reports of any structural damage and/or service disruptions to the NYC Transit system" from the earthquake. 

The transit team is surveying all lines and stations. 

United Airlines said it has diverted a few flights from Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey after the Federal Aviation Administration put ground stops there.

“We’re monitoring the air travel situation after the East Coast earthquake today. A few United flights diverted from Newark to other airports. We’ll work to have those flights continue to Newark as soon as possible," the company said in a statement.

Newark airport said there were flight disruptions as of Friday afternoon.

“Please check with your airline to determine the status of your flight,” the airport said in a statement on X.

So far, there's no indication that any NYC public school buildings were "compromised," Nathaniel Styer, press secretary of the city’s Education Department, said in a post on X.

Staff were "quickly and thoroughly inspecting buildings to ensure safety" following the morning quake.

"The safest place for our kids right now is in our schools, schools are operating as normal," Styer said, noting that building response teams were assembled "out of an abundance of caution."

President Joe Biden has been briefed on the earthquake and is monitoring potential impacts, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a post on X.

"The White House is in touch with federal, state, and local officials as we learn more," she added in the post.

Edwin Rivas said he was riding the subway during the earthquake and noticed the train's movements were "way wonkier" than usual.

"Not a lot of things like that in New York happen, so it was very scary to stay the least," Rivas told NBC New York.

Bridge and track inspections following the earthquake will cause some delays this morning for NJ Transit riders.

"Rail service system-wide is subject to up to 20-minute delays in both directions due to bridge inspections," NJ Transit said in an alert on its website.

Track inspections have also suspended Newark Light Rail service systemwide and suspended River Line Light Rail service in both directions between the Waterfront Entertainment Center and Trenton.

New York City issued an emergency alert to local phones about a minute ago, and about half an hour after the quake was felt. 

The alert said: “4.7 magnitude earthquake has occurred in the NYC area. Residents are advised to remain indoors and to call 911 if injured.”Aftershocks are still possible after such an earthquake, however, so the alert could serve as a reminder to remain on alert.

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."

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 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. 

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.

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.

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.

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.