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Just after 6 p.m. on Friday, April 5, the tremors of a 4.0 magnitude earthquake — an aftershock from an earlier 4.8 quake originating in New Jersey — could be felt across the Northeast.
Similar to its earlier counterpart, the quake shook buildings across New York City, New Jersey, and parts of Connecticut, with some reporting feeling it in Pennsylvania and western Massachusetts.
Original Story: 4.8 Magnitude Earthquake Hits Northeast
The second quake originated in Gladstone, New Jersey, a borough of Somerset County and only about 15 miles away of the original 10:23 a.m. quake on Friday, the epicenter of which was the borough of Lebanon in Hunterdon County.
A 4.0 magnitude earthquake, while rare for the East Coast, is classified as a "light" earthquake.
Is it typical for events of this strength to cause "noticeable shaking of indoor objects and rattling noises” that will be felt by most of the people in the area. It is unusually strong for the earthquakes typical to the Northeast.
There were no reports of damage or injury for either event in New York, Pennsylvania, or New Jersey, though a Greenwich middle school in Connecticut's Fairfield County saw cracks in the ground following the initial quake.
According to the US Geological Survey, aftershocks could continue to be felt for the next week. There is only a three percent chance that these lingering shakes will be at a similar or larger magnitude than the original quake, with most of them clocking in at a magnitude between three and four.
During quakes, emergency officials recommend dropping to the floor, covering your head and neck, and holding on to a solid piece of furniture or an interior wall. If you are inside, stay inside - and do not stand in doorways, NYC Emergency Management said.
Those outside during the shaking should stay outside and find a space away from trees, power lines, and buildings.
The Richter scale runs from a 1.0 magnitude (micro) to 9.9 (extreme).
In 2011, a 5.8 magnitude earthquake with an epicenter in Virginia led to the evacuation of office buildings in Manhattan, the last strongest to hit the region.
This continues to be a developing story. Check back to Daily Voice for updates.
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