The bustling streets of New York City experienced an unusual disturbance on Friday as an earthquake shook the city, causing diplomats at the United Nations Security Council to feel the tremors in their chairs and briefly halting flight operations at several airports in the region.
Although no injuries were reported, and the city’s iconic skyline remained unscathed, the earthquake, with a magnitude of 4.8 according to the United States Geological Survey, left residents and officials startled.
Dominika Uniejewska, a store supervisor from Lebanon, New Jersey, described being woken up by the quake, saying, “I’ve never experienced such a strong earthquake. I did experience some before but it was nothing compared to that.”
In Brooklyn, buildings shook, and furniture rattled, while at the United Nations headquarters, a Security Council meeting was momentarily paused.
Flight operations at airports including New York’s La Guardia, Philadelphia, and Newark were temporarily suspended, with the Federal Aviation Administration assuring the public that air traffic would resume promptly.
Social media users from Philadelphia to New York reported feeling the earthquake, with some humorously posting images of toppled garden furniture accompanied by captions like “we will rebuild.”
While earthquakes are uncommon along the Atlantic Coast, the USGS noted that they are not unheard of, attributing them to the “passive-aggressive margin” between the Atlantic and North American plates.
US President Joe Biden was briefed on the earthquake, and the White House assured coordination with federal, state, and local officials as more information becomes available.
Governor Kathy Hochul of New York urged residents to remain cautious of possible aftershocks, acknowledging that earthquakes are not something New Yorkers are accustomed to experiencing.
