Queens Earthquake Might Not Be One-Off, Expert Says

QUEENS, NY — A minor earthquake that rattled parts of Queens and likely triggered explosion sounds heard on Roosevelt Island might not be the last, said a geophysicist.

Earthquakes in the eastern U.S. often come in clusters, sometimes over an extended period of time, Thomas Pratt, a research geophysicist, said after a 1.7-magnitude quake shook near Astoria early Tuesday.

"We don't know if this is going to be a one-off," he told Patch Tuesday.

But New Yorkers shouldn't necessarily get shaken, at least emotionally.

The earthquake that hit Queens was at the low end of what humans can feel, Pratt said.

Not only that, but large earthquakes are rare on the East Coast, he said.

"The chances of a large, damaging earthquake are very slight," he said.

Pratt noted, however, that larger earthquakes aren't unheard of in New York City. A magnitude 4 quake hit near Coney Island in 1884, he said.

Tuesday's earthquake appears to be much less dramatic, but not completely uneventful.

The earthquake likely explains the explosions heard on Roosevelt Island that morning, said Camille Joseph Varlack, chief of staff for City Hall.

"It turns out that it was an earthquake, probably along the lines of 1.7," she said.

People near earthquakes often hear what sounds like sonic booms or other noises, Pratt said.

Those likely come from buildings shifting with as the ground moves, he said.

"Just quick sudden movement can jar the walls," he said.

The finding clears up a mystery for many Queens and Manhattan residents who awoke to vibrations and loud noises.

"Anyone feel that shake around 5 45?" Upper East Side resident Andrew Fine posted on X, the website formerly known as Twitter.

"Astoria here and I felt it, the shake woken the me up," another user posted.

But, despite all the confusion, the quake appears to have been largely a blip.

No injuries were reported, city officials tweeted.

Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine tweeted the quake caused a power outage on Roosevelt Island.

He also included a link for residents to report data about the quake.

** @USGS reports 1.7 mag earthquake this morning centered on Astoria, Queens **

This caused small explosions and power outage on Roosevelt island. Thankfully no injuries.

USGA is collecting data on this event. Report what you experienced here: https://t.co/KJ04EJ9aKJ
— Mark D. Levine (@MarkLevineNYC) January 2, 2024

Patch reporter Peter Senzamici contributed to this report.