An earthquake shook the area surrounding New York City. There were initially no reports of injuries or property damage.
According to the responsible American authorities, the earthquake that occurred on Friday morning (local time) measured 4.8 and occurred at a depth of 4.7 kilometers. The epicenter of the earthquake was near a Lebanese town in the US state of New Jersey, about 65 kilometers west of New York City.
“Master of Disaster”
“This was one of the largest earthquakes to hit the East Coast in 100 years,” New York Governor Kathy Hochul said. Inspections of infrastructure and searches for damage are taken “very seriously.” “Fortunately, we are masters of disasters here in New York. We know how to deal with it.”
The quake was reportedly felt for about a minute in a wide radius around the epicenter and along the coast from Baltimore to Boston, about 600 kilometers north. In Manhattan, it arrived with a slight rumble, but it surprised a lot of people. Dogs started barking and many people left their homes. Residents of the Brooklyn area also felt the tremor clearly, as one resident of the Greenpoint area said: “The entire building shook.” Her neighbor said she had never been so afraid.
'No reports of significant effects'
Several airports in the affected area temporarily suspended takeoffs and landings to inspect the runways for any possible damage. Several tunnels and train routes were also partially closed temporarily for inspection. Warnings on mobile phones informed people in the area and made them aware of the possibility of aftershocks.
The White House said that US President Joe Biden had been informed of the earthquake. He is in contact with his team, which is monitoring possible effects. New York Mayor Eric Adams has also been informed. His spokesman Fabien Levy said: “We currently have no reports of major impacts, but we are continuing to evaluate.” The New York Fire and Police Department initially had no information about the damage.
“They make the earth shake”
Many schools and kindergartens immediately informed parents that everything was fine. “The only thing that fell was a box of tissues,” one elementary school teacher on Manhattan's Upper West Side said.
The earthquake was also felt at the United Nations headquarters in eastern Manhattan during a Security Council meeting to discuss the conflict in the Middle East. The head of the non-governmental organization Save the Children, Janti Soeripto, stopped talking. Palestinian Ambassador to the United Nations Riyad Mansour commented: “You are making the earth shake.” Those in charge of the famous Empire State Building commented on the skyscraper via the online portal
