On April 5 around 10:30 am, the Tri-state area shook with a 4.8 magnitude earthquake. Its epicenter was in Lebanon, New Jersey. Many locals felt the earthquake shake their homes and neighborhoods, and were extremely confused by what they were feeling since the last earthquake of this magnitude to strike New Jersey was in 2007.
Many locals reported feeling their house shake, and their pets stopping in their tracks due to the quake.
“It felt like my whole house was shaking. My dog stopped everything and looked around scared,” says ACIT junior Layla Miller.
Though it was a lower-scale earthquake, it has caused more than 50 aftershocks of slightly lesser magnitudes throughout the Tri-state area. At 6 p.m. in New Jersey, a magnitude 4.0 aftershock struck. The original quake caused the shaking of buildings, trees, and vehicles from Maine to Maryland
“A big painting fell off my desk, and my dog ran and hid,” says ACIT junior Douglas Golden.
“It felt like someone took my entire bed and shook it ferociously. It was like being in a bounce house with fifty kids jumping all over at once. It was a really long six seconds!” says ACIT media teacher Brian Lacivita.
Earthquakes in the eastern states of the US are very rare; but, according to the USGS (United States Geological Survey), this level of rarity and other geographical aspects can be felt more strongly throughout larger areas. The state was very lucky to face little to no damage, and no one was injured or harmed.
Additional Sources “Earthquake Shakes U.S. East Coast, Impacting New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Others.” NBCNews.Com, NBCUniversal News Group, 5 Apr. 2024, www.nbcnews.com/science/science-news/earthquake-shakes-us-east-coast-rcna146575. Staff, NBC New York.
“More than 50 Aftershocks Detected after NJ Earthquake, More Possible: USGS.” NBC New York, NBC New York, 12 Apr. 2024, www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/usgs-deploys-aftershock-kits-to-study-new-jersey-earthquakes-with-more-than-50-aftershocks-detected-so-far/5312086/. Katherine Rodriguez | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, and Amira Sweilem | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com.
“N.J. Earthquake History: See the Full List of Earthquakes on Record.” Nj, 5 Apr. 2024, www.nj.com/news/2024/04/nj-earthquake-history-see-the-full-list-of-earthquakes-on-record.html.
