Small earthquake rattles parts of New York City area, New Jersey
A small earthquake rattled some parts of the New York City area Saturday night, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
The epicenter of the 3.0 magnitude quake was northeast of Hasbrouck Heights, New Jersey, in Bergen County, about 10 kilometers below the surface, USGS said.
Though the quake was relatively minor, there were reports of brief shaking in parts of the area.
A security camera captured the moment a family leaped up in confusion as the quake hit. In footage shared by Gabby Atshan, she and her husband, Sammy, quickly jumped off their sofa, rushing around in confusion as they tried to figure out what caused the shaking.
"What was that?!" Gabby is heard wondering. "Did something crash?"
Other videos showed the quake's impact, including one of a dog in a crate waking up startled by the noise, and another of a woman, who was doing her workout on the floor, also startled by the shake.
WABC-TV reporter Darla Miles was at home when the quake struck, saying, "It felt like a car had hit the house," adding that "there was this loud boom, and the home shook."
Miles said she and her family immediately checked the windows and doors for damage. "That's what it felt like—an impact," she said. "We inspected everything and then went outside. All the neighbors were already out there too, asking the same question: 'Did you feel that?'"
The community was still inspecting homes and buildings for damage late Saturday, according to Miles. As of then, no injuries or major structural issues had been reported.
In a statement posted on social media, New York City Emergency Management said tremors may have been felt in parts of New York City but that there were no reports of injuries or damage in the city.
Xan Davidson, a USGS analyst, told ABC News that while earthquakes are relatively rare on the East Coast, a magnitude 3.0 is not considered a significant quake.
"We would not expect there to be a lot of damage," Davidson said. "It would just be shaking."
In April 2024, New York City and New Jersey were rocked by a rare 4.8 magnitude earthquake, which officials said was one of the largest earthquakes on the East Coast in the last century.
That quake was centered near Whitehouse Station, New Jersey, and shook buildings from Philadelphia to New Jersey and New York City to Connecticut and Westchester, New York.
"Earthquakes do happen here, but it's not something that happens frequently," Davidson said, referencing the 2024 quake.
Davidson said the wide area of people who reported feeling Saturday's quake -- reaching as far as Connecticut -- is not unexpected and that there was little cause for alarm.
