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New York and New Jersey hit by magnitude 5.5 earthquake; White House issues statement
New York Earthquake: An earthquake of magnitude 5.5 struck New York and New Jersey, the European Mediterranean Seismological Centre said on Friday.
An earthquake of magnitude 5.5 struck New York and New Jersey, the European Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) stated on Friday. The New York earthquake was at a depth of 10 kilometers (6.21 miles), Reuters reported.
According to the USGS, the epicenter of earthquake was northeast of Lebanon, New Jersey, which is situated roughly 50 miles away from west of New York City.
Meanwhile, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul confirmed that the quake was felt across the state.
“My team is assessing impacts and any damage that may have occurred, and we will update the public throughout the day,” she said in a post on X.
Deputy Mayor of New York City Fabien Levy stated there have been no significant reports of the earthquake's effects on the city.
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UNSC meeting on Gaza suspended briefly; Empire State Building says ‘I am fine’
Following the earthquake in New York, a Security Council meeting regarding the situation in Gaza was momentarily suspended at the United Nations.
During her speech, Janti Soeripto, a spokeswoman for Save the Children, asked, "Is that an earthquake?"
People on social media reported about experiencing tremors in Long Island Philadelphia andNew York.
"I AM FINE," said the famous Empire State Building in a post on its X account.
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From Washington, DC to NYC, residents hit streets
Amid reports of tremors being felt from Washington, DC to New York City, the New York Police Department confirmed that there were no reports of injuries or damages.
After receiving reports of shaking buildings, the New York City Fire Department said in a statement: “We are responding to calls and evaluating structural stability." “There are no major incidents at this time.”
Minutes after the quake, residents in certain parts of New York City poured out onto the sidewalks in front of their buildings.
Hoboken, New Jersey resident David Rodriguez, narrated his experience, stating that "everything started vibrating then I felt the building shake." “I thought it was a large truck outside until everything started swaying. But it had that sound of something swaying from side to side.”
Any impact on US flights?
According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), flights to the Newark, New York, Kennedy, Philadelphia and Baltimore airports are being temporarily suspended following the earthquake.
Meanwhile, a controller said over the radio that the air traffic control tower at Newark Liberty airport was being evacuated. This meant that flights were being halted until the controllers relocated to a different location.
"Nobody’s going to go anywhere for the time being," a controller announced over the radio frequency, CNN reported.
The authorities were conducting a damage inspection on runways after the earthquake.
Following ground stops by the FAA at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey, United Airlines announced that it has rerouted a few planes from that airport.
A few United flights diverted from Newark to other airports. We’ll work to have those flights continue to Newark as soon as possible," the firm stated in a statement.
White House briefs Biden about quake
Taking to X, White House informed President Joe Biden has been briefed on the New York and New Jersey earthquake.
"The White House is in touch with federal, state, and local officials as we learn more," White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a post on X.
In response to the quake, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy has activated the state's emergency operations centre.
As of now, there are no indications that any NYC public school facilities were "compromised," said Nathaniel Styer, the city's Education Department press secretary.
In a post on X, she said, school staff were "quickly and thoroughly inspecting buildings to ensure safety".
