A 4.7 magnitude earthquake struck the Northeast on Friday morning, according to a preliminary estimate from the U.S. Geological Survey, briefly shaking areas including New York City and northern New Jersey.
The earthquake occurred around 10:23 a.m. ET about four miles north-northeast of Whitehouse Station, N.J., according to the USGS. It lasted only a few seconds, surprising residents in an area of the country unaccustomed to earthquakes.
Social media users expressed shock and confusion after the tremor, as such rare seismic events are uncommon in the Northeast.
As of the first 15 minutes following the earthquake, the USGS had not reported any aftershocks.
The last significant earthquake to shake the East Coast occurred in 2011 in Virginia. The 5.9-magnitude earthquake struck outside the nation’s capital and was one of the strongest to hit the region in modern history, felt from North Carolina to Maine.
