Earthquake Update: NYC Reveals Building Damage Details

NEW YORK CITY — While the Big Apple shook off most of the quake and shake on Friday, not every one of New York City's over 1 million buildings emerged unscathed.

Major damage was luckily avoided, but a handful of buildings suffered worse than others, city officials said Monday.

When the historic 4.8 magnitude earthquake 45 miles west of Manhattan unsettled millions across the east coast Friday morning, it also caused masonry cracks, damaged façades and shut down a number of construction sites, according to the city's Buildings Department.

The agency received over 150 reports of building damage all across the city over the weekend, officials said, adding that each location was visited by Buildings inspectors.

Inspectors also conducted nearly 300 spot checks at construction sites across the city, finding unsafe conditions at fewer than 10.

"During these inspections, our staff did not find any major damage nor collapses," said DOB spokesperson David Maggiotto. "The damage we did find at some of these locations was mostly cracked masonry that was not destabilizing to the building."

At least three of the buildings that did suffer some damage warranted either vacate orders, sidewalk sheds or a further inspection, Maggiotto said.

An East New York school gym shared by J.H.S. 218 James P. Sinnott and the School for Classics High School was issued a partial vacate order when inspectors found cracks inside the building, according to the Buildings Department.

In the Bronx, two buildings were ordered to install sidewalk sheds after inspectors found cracks on the façade.

And back in Brooklyn, a Greenpoint building was ordered to hire a professional engineer to submit a report after inspectors found the building "in a state of disrepair," officials said.

After inspection 294 construction sites citywide to ensure that contractors were properly safeguarding their sites, inspectors issued partial stop work orders at the following eight sites:

• 40-09 29th Street, Queens
• 133 East 80th Street, Manhattan
• 270 Park Avenue, Manhattan
  
• 636 Grand Avenue, Brooklyn
  
• 1042 Atlantic Ave, Brooklyn
• 1745 52 Street, Brooklyn
• 4720 3rd Avenue, Bronx
• 2605 Sedgwick Avenue, Bronx
  

If you think your building may have suffered damage during Friday's historic earthquake, call 311 to report any issues.