Eastern coast rattles: Week-long aftershocks follow century's strongest quake
5:42 AM EDT, April 7, 2024
After Friday's earthquake—the most potent to strike the eastern coast of the USA in a century—seismologists warn that aftershocks may persist in the New York area for another week. By Saturday, they had recorded 31 such tremors.
The United States Geological Services (USGS) reported that the aftershocks following the 4.8 magnitude earthquake in Readington Township ranged from magnitudes of 1.5 to 4.0. Seismologists caution that these will be particularly noticeable near the epicentre.
The strongest aftershock occurred near Gladstone in Somerset County, New Jersey, at 5:59 PM ET on Friday. Additional tremors were documented in Hunterdon County, Somerset, and Morris again.
"Aftershocks are typically a concern for the first few days, lasting about a week. The entire eastern coast is seismically active, though most earthquakes there are relatively weak," Dax Soule, a seismologist from Queens College in New York, told CBS News.
Minor damage has been reported across three states: New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut.
In Readington, located roughly 43 miles west of New York, the top section of a historic mill constructed in 1760 was destroyed. Additionally, numerous gas leaks were reported. A water main broke in Randolph, New Jersey, and the quake also led to power outages in Newark within the same state.
The New York Metropolitan Area Transportation Authorities (MTA) have confirmed that the earthquake unaffected bridges, tunnels, and the subway system. Governor Kathy Hochul announced that inspectors are evaluating potential damages and will update the public on their findings.
The USGS characterizes Friday's earthquake as moderate, explaining that tremors ranging from 2.5 to 5.4 magnitude are typically noticeable but only result in minor damage.
In contrast, the powerful 6.7 magnitude earthquake in Northridge, California, in 1994 claimed 57 lives, injured nearly 9,000 people, and destroyed 112,000 buildings. Damages from that disaster were estimated at 20 billion dollars.
