Magnitude 4.7 Earthquake Hits New Jersey, New York Days Before Solar Eclipse

A magnitude 4.7 earthquake was felt in New York, New Jersey, and surrounding areas on Friday morning, just days before the eclipse.

Thousands of residents in the Tri-State area felt the quake, something that they haven't experienced since 2011 when a magnitude 5.9 earthquake hit. The 2011 quake was felt in Washington, D.C., New York City, and North Carolina.

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the earthquake that occurred on Friday, April 5, 2024, was felt from Boston down to Baltimore, but was centered near Lebanon, New Jersey.

Many incoming flights at major airports in and around New York City have been diverted from landing, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. Philadelphia airport runways were closed for approximately ten minutes but have since reopened.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul released a statement shortly after the quake was felt, writing, “My team is assessing impacts and any damage that may have occurred, and we will update the public throughout the day.”

“Everyone @NYSE just gave each other a big look,” CNBC’s Carl Quintanilla said from the New York Stock Exchange in lower Manhattan.

Around 11 a.m. ET, emergency phone alerts stated, "A 4.7-magnitude earthquake has occurred in the NYC area. Residents are advised to remain indoors and to call 911 if injured."

New Jersey has activated its State Emergency Operations Center, according to New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy. "Please do not call 911 unless you have an actual emergency," he said in a statement.

Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro said his team and the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency are actively monitoring the situation.

It is unclear if anyone was hurt or if there was any major damage, but one thing is certain. The Empire State Building is safe. "I AM FINE" the official account confirmed in an X post.

Cindy Coffey, a resident of New Jersey, exclusively told The Blast, "I was eating breakfast and the house started to rattle like a large truck was passing, but it just got more intense very quickly so I knew immediately it wasn’t a passing truck or plane."

She went on to tell us that the "glasses and the windows were rattling and the entire house shook." She says it lasted about 30 seconds. "My only thought was that had to be an earthquake. We don’t get them here often and never had one that intense," she told us, "A very scary 30 seconds."

Central Jersey resident Jim Rolly said he experienced something similar, telling us he "was home in a chair and thought a loud truck was coming down the street. Then I noticed the room was shaking for about 10 seconds and finally one big jolt that moved the chair I was sitting in."

Another New Jersey resident, Stephanie Berens, said she was at work in Lakewood when the earthquake hit and she said "both my computer screens were shaking."

Melanie Vanderveer, a journalist with The Blast, says that she "was on a call and [her] cat was behind [her] on the couch" when he "suddenly got up and ran full speed into the other room before [she] even felt anything."

"Then I felt the house shaking and screamed for my son to make sure he was good," she said. "I texted my other son who’s about 10 miles away at school and he felt it too. I’ve lived in the Poconos for 19 years and don’t recall ever feeling an earthquake before today."

Tara Coffey of Lincroft, New Jersey said the quake really upset her cat as well. "She started meowing loudly and hasn’t left my side since [the quake hit]," Ms. Coffey told The Blast. "It went on for a decent while too, which is what was so scary about it for me."

Mary Glenn of New Jersey told The Blast that she initially thought "a runaway truck was driving up my front lawn."

"It was louder than I expected, and I felt much more rumbling than the earthquake we had several years ago," she added.

Charles Kawas Jr., who also lives in New Jersey, spoke to The Blast saying that he felt the quake for about 15-20 seconds. "I was lying on my couch, fighting a stomach virus. I felt the couch rock and then I heard my fiancée screaming from her office desk about the house moving," he told us. "My 1st experience ever."

Mr. Kawas Jr. added that he is located about 30 miles from Lebanon, which is where the epicenter was reported.

Some people realized that the earthquake hit just days before the eclipse, which has them convinced the "world is ending."

As you may know, the Great American Eclipse will be happening on Monday, April 8, 2024. According to The Palm Beach Post, "In the U.S., totality will begin in Texas at 1:27 p.m. CT and will end in Maine at 3:35 p.m. ET on April 8, 2024."