Earthquake Rocks Brooklyn

An earthquake shook Brooklyn today at around 10:30 a.m. The reported 4.8 magnitude temblor originated in New Jersey, and was felt in Philadelphia.

The windows rattled loudly in a kitchen in Ocean Hill and a sleeping woman was shaken awake on the top floor of a four-story house in Crown Heights. Zoom calls were interrupted and Slack lit up with the question “did you feel that?”

At City Hall in Manhattan, the fire safety director told everyone to evacuate the building; later, the mayor’s chief of staff said to go back inside, a reporter on the scene told Brownstoner. Brooklyn Arbor elementary school in Williamsburg sent out a text to parents saying everyone is safe and the school is following emergency protocols.

“A 4.8 magnitude earthquake hit west of Manhattan and has been felt throughout New York. My team is assessing impacts and any damage that may have occurred, and we will update the public throughout the day,” said Governor Kathy Hochul on X, formerly known as Twitter.

NYPD Chief of Transit Michael M. Kemper said on X: “Was briefed by my team in regard to the earthquake. There are no current reports of any structural damage and/or service disruptions to the NYC Transit system as a result. That said, our team is continuing to survey all lines and stations and we will keep you updated.”

Mayor Eric Adams planned to give a press conference on the unexpected event today at noon.

The USGS assigned the temblor a preliminary rating of 4.7 magnitude, according to Weather.com. The earthquake was centered about 3 miles northeast of Lebanon, New Jersey.

While an earthquake of this magnitude is a regular occurrence in places like California and Japan, it is unusual in New York City. Earthquake-prone areas have strict building codes that allow them to withstand strong seismic clashes with minimal damage, but a significant earthquake in Brooklyn could potentially cause unreinforced masonry buildings to collapse.

In 2011, a Virginia quake registering 5.8 on the Richter scale was felt in mid-rise office buildings in Dumbo and other parts of New York City. In 1895, Brooklyn was “terrorized” by an earthquake that caused buildings to “shiver” and chandeliers to “wobble,” although no one was harmed, the Brooklyn Eagle reported at the time.

Did you feel it?

— Additional reporting by Emily Davenport and Barbara Russo.

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