Small earthquake shakes the New York area, USGS says magnitude was 3.0

A small earthquake rattled the New York metropolitan area Saturday night.

The US Geological Survey said the tremor had a magnitude of 3.0.

It hit in the New Jersey suburb of Hasbrouck Heights, less than 8 miles west of Central Park, at a depth of about 6.2 miles.

One resident of New York’s Brooklyn borough described it as a very brief tremor, just a slight swaying for a moment.

Nevertheless, social media quickly lit up with people who felt it. The official account of the Empire State Building reported in on the social platform X to say: “I AM FINE.”

The tremor was much milder than a 4.8-magnitude quake in 2024 that struck in Tewksbury, New Jersey, a little farther west of the city.

A 3.0 earthquake is typically not strong enough to cause any damage, but tremors that mild are somewhat rare in the Northeast.

New York City Emergency Management said there were no immediate reports of major impacts.

There were no immediate reports of injury or damage thus far.

“A 3.0 magnitude earthquake was recorded in the Hasbrouck Heights area,” wrote Bergen County Sheriff Anthony Cureton on social media just before 11 p.m. “Please do not be alarmed — there are currently no reports of damage or injuries.We’ll share updates as more information becomes available.”

The county’s Office of Emergency Management wrote minutes later, “Please be advised the USGS is reporting [an] earthquake has taken place with the epicenter being Hasbrouck Heights. Emergency services are aware of the event, please only call 9-1-1 in emergency situations.”

Bergen County was also shaken by an earthquake back on Jan. 24. That one registered as 2.4.

By CNN