An earthquake shook skyscrapers and buildings in New York for a few seconds. The tremor, measuring 4.8 on the Richter Scale, was also recorded in Philadelphia and Boston. There should be no damage. Students in many schools have been removed from classrooms for safety reasons.
The epicenter of the earthquake, of modest intensity but infrequent on the east coast of the United States, was recorded in Lebanon, New Jersey (at a distance of approximately 70 kilometers from the Big Apple) according to what was confirmed by the American geophysical institute, Usgs .
Joe Biden was informed of the earthquake in New York and New Jersey and asked his staff to stay in contact with local authorities. This was stated by White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre. According to initial indications there was no damage, but “we are evaluating the impact” of the earthquake, said the spokesman for the mayor of New York, Fabien Levy.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul stated that: «This is one of the strongest earthquakes recorded on the East Coast in the last century» in a press conference after the earthquake which was felt strongly throughout the state and also in Connecticut and Massachusetts. “My team is assessing the impact and any possible damage, and we will inform the public later in the day,” Hochul wrote on X.
The cell phones of diplomats present at the UN Security Council rang due to the earthquake alert launched by the electronic service in the New York area. The alert reported the earthquake as having a magnitude of 4.7, inviting residents to stay indoors and to call 911 if anyone is injured. After a moment of disorientation, the work of the Security Council resumed. A first pause occurred when the tremor, which lasted a few seconds, had been felt a few minutes earlier.
Earthquake in New York interrupts United Nations Security Council meeting
Some Brooklyn residents heard a booming sound and their building shaking. In an apartment building in Manhattan's East Village, a resident of California, the most earthquake-prone area, calmed fearful neighbors. Several people in Baltimore, Philadelphia, Connecticut and other areas of the East Coast not accustomed to earthquakes also reported feeling the ground shaking.
The Russian Consulate General in New York has temporarily evacuated visitors due to the earthquake felt in the city. He told the Tax the Russian consul general in New York, Alexander Zakharov. “The visitors have been temporarily evacuated,” the diplomat underlined, adding that so far no requests have been received from the Russians present in the city in relation to the earthquake.
The tremor reawakened memories of the August 23, 2011 earthquake that affected tens of millions of people from Georgia to Canada. At a magnitude of 5.8, it was the strongest earthquake to hit the East Coast since World War II. The epicenter was in Virginia.
That earthquake left cracks in the Washington Monument, led to the evacuation of the White House and the Capitol and shook New Yorkers three weeks before the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
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