4.0 Earthquake Aftershock In NJ Rattles Homes Across LI

LONG ISLAND, NY — An aftershock in New Jersey with a magnitude of 4.0 shook homes across Long Island Friday evening.

According to the United States Geological Survey, the aftershock was reported 7 km southwest of Gladstone, NJ at 5:59 p.m.

It was the latest in an eventful day for Long Islanders, who first felt their homes rocked Friday morning after an earthquake was reported in New Jersey.

According to the United States Geological Survey, USGS, an earthquake registering as 4.8 took place 7 km northeast of Whitehouse Station, NJ just after 10:20 a.m. The earthquake was felt across the tri-state area and upstate.

The New York State Office of Emergency Management sent out an alert just after noon. "An earthquake occurred in New Jersey. The earthquake has been felt throughout NY State. Aftershocks may occur. Call 911 only if you or others are injured or have an emergency."

The USGS said magnitude is expressed in whole numbers and decimal fractions, adding that "a magnitude 5.3 is a moderate earthquake, and a 6.3 is a strong earthquake." Michigan Tech reported that a magnitude of 2.5 to 5.4 is "often felt, but only causes minor damage", without about 500,000 reported yearly.

A National Weather Service Office, who said the USGS was the agency able to confirm a quake, said the tremors could be felt for up to 8 seconds in the Upton office.

"A 4.8 magnitude earthquake hit west of Manhattan and has been felt throughout New York," Governor Kathy Hochul said. "My team is assessing impacts and any damage that may have occurred, and we will update the public throughout the day."

Hochul added: "This is one of the largest earthquakes on the East Coast to occur in the last century. So, I immediately directed my emergency management team, the second we received word of this, to start doing damage assessments — any life in danger and finding out whether there's any bridges or tunnels that are compromised."

Hochul said, heading into an hour and a half after the effects: "We've not identified any life-threatening situations, but we are certainly asking our local law enforcement and emergency services teams to be on guard for that as well. But again, we are going to be reviewing all potentially vulnerable infrastructure sites throughout the State of New York that is critically important in the aftermath of an event like this."

Hochul said millions of New Yorkers felt the effects of the earthquake, the epicenter of which was in Central New Jersey, about 45 miles west of Manhattan.

"We're taking this extremely seriously, and here's why: there is always the possibility of aftershocks. But we have not felt the magnitude of an earthquake of this level since about 2011."

Hochul said she's been in touch with the New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, the mayor of New York., the MTA, the Port Authority, and utility companies. She also was in communication with the White House.

"It's been a very unsettling day, to say the least," Hochul said. She offered safety tips.

"Everyone should continue to take this seriously. If there is an aftershock, people are encouraged to drop and to cover and to hold on. Drop to the floor, cover your neck, and hold on to something that is sturdy. Take caution near any damaged buildings."

From the North Fork across Long Island, residents turned to social media to share the experience: "My house shook," they echoed, one after another.

"Felt it in Queens," one North Fork resident wrote. "The entire building was moving." Others reported that their homes shook for up to 10 seconds.

"Felt the earthquake here in Hardwick," said Dell Cullum, a former East End resident who moved recently. "Freaked me out. Entire house shook. I grabbed my cat Pickles and ran outside. Shook for 15 seconds. Wow!"

Residents took to community groups on Facebook, with one administrator in the Mastic-Shirley area asking if an earthquake just happened in Mastic.

Some posters replied "Yes," while another said her "whole house shook."

On another page, one woman wrote, "Mastic shook. I was literally, like, what was that?"

Another woman said her whole house shook in Brookhaven.

"Stuff fell down inside my glass cabinet!," she wrote.

One woman described how she was folding laundry when she felt the quake, adding, "My whole bed shook like a poltergeist was shaking it!"

The event was also felt by staffers over at Brookhaven National Laboratory in Upton.

Peter Genzer, manager of the lab's Media and Communications office, said staffers have been asked to report any damage, but so far none has been logged.

The waves shook Long Island's tallest building in Hauppauge, the Dennison Building and seat of Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine.

In a statement, Romaine reported no major incidents. "The office of emergency management continues to monitor the situation and my office is in communication with our region’s local governments, hospitals and emergency management agencies," he said.

Michael Martino, a spokesman for Romaine, told Patch at about 10:30 a.m. that the building had been evacuated. He said the county's Fire, Rescue, and Emergency Services did not log an increase in emergency calls following the earthquake.

The county's staffers will be assessing assets for damage, he said.

Stony Brook University Hospital officials said there are no reports of damage or injuries at this time, but they will continue to monitor the situation.

Brookhaven Supervisor Dan Panico noted Town Hall, which sits on Bald Hill in Farmingville, was not fully evacuated because the event was so short.

"By the time that people were getting their stuff and heading out to the exit, everybody was already walking back in," he said.

In the meantime, the town's emergency management department would be assessing for damage.

"Everything is fine for the first time it seems like in months," he said. "I'm sitting at my desk looking out at blue skies, and that's a rarity since I've I've taken this job. Unfortunately, we had a little of the after effects of the earthquake in New Jersey, but I'm happy to report that all as well here at Brookhaven Town Hall."

It is the second earthquake for Panico at Town Hall. In 2011, there was a similar incident.

"I think the duration was certainly longer in terms of the the timeframe which it went on," he said. "But I'm happy to report all as well here for Brookhaven Town Hall. Everyone is everyone's working and it made for an eventful Friday."

"It is an eclipse on Monday, and we'll see what we'll see what Monday brings," he said.

Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman said there have been no reports of any structural damage.

“We did a good job making sure that everything was operational,” he said in an afternoon briefing.

Blakeman said National Grid and PSEG Long Island reported no issues with gas or power from the earthquake. Additionally, he said there is no report of wires coming down from the utility poles or of any trees toppling.

The county’s sewer treatment plants and Nassau University Medical Center had no damage.
Department of Public Works assessed county buildings three stories or tallier and found no structural concerns, Blakeman added.

Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder said 911 received a “flurry of calls” that lasted approximately 45 minutes and then “it went back to normal business.”

This is a developing story.