NATURE
How big was the earthquake in New York and where is the epicenter?
Friday 5 April saw the east coast of the United States shaken, and as preliminary information became available questions were being asked.
Yes, there was an earthquake that affected New York and the surrounding area. Social media lit up on Friday morning with people asking each other if they really did just feel the earth move.
Lebenon, New Jersey, home to earthquake epicenter
The epicenter was located in Lebanon, a borough in Hunterdon County in New Jersey, at the local time of just before 10:23 a.m. The magnitude of the quake has been given as 4.8 on the Richter scale, and also based on the data available at the center of seismology, the depth was stated as 5km.
Early suggestions are that there is no major damage caused but an investigation has only just begun.
Mayor Adams along with other officials gave a speech just after noon about the earthquake. He said New York residents should go about their normal day.
Was New York earthquake felt in UN building?
Friday morning in the Big Apple was also home to a meeting at the United Nations building, as leaders from around the world met to discuss various topics. Reuters correspondent Michelle Nichols shared this video footage from inside the Security Council session, where there was a joke made following the rumble. (Note that although she states 5.5, the official magnitude remains reported at 4.8).
The headquarters of the UN is in the Turtle Bay neighborhood of Midtown Manhattan, and overlooks the East River.
The information from official sources is light at the moment but we’ll continue to add more as we get it. This is not the first time that an earthquake has hit New York. The largest was the Cornwall-Massena earthquake of 1944, which registered a 5.8 on the Richter scale and was felt from New York City and Boston to Quebec and Toronto.