Some people whose windows rattled wondered if perhaps a large truck was passing nearby. Others noticed unusual behavior by their pets, in some cases just before the shaking began. What everyone who felt it actually experienced, however, was an earthquake.
Friday’s magnitude 4.8 temblor was significant for a region that isn’t particularly earthquake-prone. According to seismologists, it was centered near Whitehouse Station in Tewksbury Township, Hunterdon County, N.J., about 35 miles east of Hellertown, and was felt as far north as Maine and as far south as Norfolk, Va. The quake was felt throughout the Philadelphia and New York metropolitan areas, with ABC News reporting that it was the strongest quake to affect New York City since 1884.
With the epicenter located relatively nearby, many Lehigh Valley residents felt the earthquake when it began at 10:23 a.m. Eastern time. County emergency centers were apparently inundated with calls and officials quickly began to share information about the quake through emergency communication channels, as well as to assess critical infrastructure such as bridges and tunnels.
There were no immediate reports of damage in the area, but Lehigh County officials said residents could complete the damage reporting form on the county’s EMA website if they had any.
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) reported that the earthquake occurred at a depth of 4.7 km “as a result of oblique reverse and strike-slip faulting at shallow depths in the crust.”
“Earthquakes in the eastern U.S. are infrequent but not unexpected,” USGS officials said, but they noted that Friday’s quake was also the biggest within a 250 km radius since 1950.
“Within 500 km of the April 5 earthquake, 13 earthquakes (magnitude) 4.5 and larger have been recorded since 1950, the largest being the Aug. 23, 2011 (magnitude) 5.8 Mineral, Va., earthquake which caused substantial damage and was felt throughout the eastern U.S.,” the statement said.
“The April 5, 2024, earthquake occurred in a region where faults have been previously identified and may be reactivated at any time,” officials added.
Did you feel the earthquake? If you did, tell us what it felt like and how you responded. Citizens can also share their reports with the USGS here.
