NORTH LANCASTER — A 4.8 magnitude earthquake that originated in New Jersey shook the second floor of residences on Fort Pond Friday morning.
According to the United States Geological Survey (U.S.G.S.), the epicenter of the earthquake was Whitehouse Station, New Jersey. It took place at around 10:23 a.m. on Friday, April 5, 2024.
Whitehouse Station is an unincorporated community and census designated place located within Readington Township, in Hunterdon County, New Jersey. It’s about 4.8 miles from Lebanon, New Jersey, which is roughly 50 miles west of Manhattan.
According to the New York Times, buildings throughout New York City were shaken by the quake, with shaking reportedly being felt as far out as Philadelphia, Boston, and (according to News Link Live) even North Lancaster, MA (a town in North Central Massachusetts).
An interactive map of the quake posted to the U.S.G.S.’s website indicated that the quake made its way to Springfield from Connecticut.
Traveling adjacent to rivers, and buffered by bodies of water, the quake headed north from Springfield, making its way through Holyoke, Northampton, Hatfield, South Deerfield, Greenfield, Turner Falls, Northfield, Vernon, and up Brattleboro Road into Brattleboro.
In Northampton, the quake split and went east, heading through Amherst, North Amherst, and stopping at the Quabbin Resevoir in New Salem.
According to the U.S.G.S., the tectonic summary of Friday’s earthquake is as follows:
“The April 5, 2024, M 4.8 earthquake near Whitehouse Station, New Jersey, occurred as a result of oblique reverse and strike-slip faulting at shallow depths in the crust. Although this event did not occur near a plate boundary, such “intraplate” earthquakes can and do occur. While this earthquake is relatively small globally, earthquakes of this magnitude are commonly widely felt in the eastern United States because of efficient seismic wave propagation in the region.
Earthquakes in the eastern US are infrequent but not unexpected. Since 1950, 40 other earthquakes of magnitude 3 and larger have occurred within 250 km of today’s earthquake. In that time range, the April 5, 2024, earthquake is the largest. Within 500 km of the April 5th earthquake, 13 earthquakes M 4.5 and larger have been recorded since 1950, the largest being the August 23, 2011, M 5.8 Mineral Virginia earthquake which caused substantial damage and was felt throughout the eastern US. The April 5, 2024, earthquake occurred in a region where faults have been previously identified and may be reactivated at any time.”
Umm it made its way way past Lancaster it was felt in Fitchburg Gardner nh Leominster Maynard an many more town
That’s good to know! Thanks for reaching out.
At 10:20 am I felt it under my feet and felt mild shaking for a few seconds. It stopped and then felt it again for a few seconds, here in Winchendon, Ma. This isn’t the first time, I think back around 2017 there was a much stronger one. We live in a split level house.
My brother felt it in the second floor of the house, I felt nothing on the first floor. Did you know there are fault lines in Clinton? I just this out while writing the article yesterday.