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New York Gov Hochul brutally trolled for referring to New Jersey as 'west of Manhattan' in earthquake statement

In a post on social media platform X, Gov. Kathy Hochul wrote: "A 4.8 magnitude earthquake hit west of Manhattan and has been felt throughout New York."

Updated on: Apr 6, 2024, 24:07:18 IST
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New York Governor Kathy Hochul was slammed for referring to New Jersey as "west of Manhattan" in her statement after magnitude 4.8 earthquake hit New York and surrounding areas.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul was slammed for referring to New Jersey as "west of Manhattan" in her statement after magnitude 4.8 earthquake hit New York and surrounding areas. (AP)
New York Governor Kathy Hochul was slammed for referring to New Jersey as "west of Manhattan" in her statement after magnitude 4.8 earthquake hit New York and surrounding areas. (AP)

In a post on X on Friday, Hochul wrote: "A 4.8 magnitude earthquake hit west of Manhattan and has been felt throughout New York."

Social media users swiftly chastised the NY Governor for what appeared to be her omission.

Hoop It Up CEO George Daniel pointed out, “It’s called New Jersey. It’s ok to say the name," while former New York legislator Ben Geller quipped: “It was Jersey. It’s okay you can pretend to care about people that don’t live in NYC."

Hitting out at Hochul, New Jersey Monitor editor Terrence T. McDonald asked, “Can NJ impeach NY’s governor?”

Also Read: 4.8 magnitude earthquake hits New York, New Jersey, ignites meme fest online

NYC officials called out for sending emergency alerts nearly 25 minutes after quake

Meanwhile, netizens targetted New York City officials as it took them nearly 25 minutes to send an emergency alert regarding the earthquake.

The US Geological Survey reported that the earthquake in Lebanon, New Jersey, occurred at approximately 10:23 a.m. and the tremors were immediately felt throughout the tri-state region.

However, New York City officials didn't send out an emergency alert until 10:47 a.m. They issued a Wireless Emergency alert at 11:02 a.m., and some locals reported receiving the alerts even after the noon.

Also Read: New York and New Jersey hit by magnitude 5.5 earthquake; White House issues statement

Addressing a news conference on Friday, Zachary Iscol, the director of the city's Office of Emergency Management, clarified that the Adams administration wanted to verify the earthquake before notifying locals.

“We also need to make sure we’re putting out the proper guidance. The 20 minutes is very, very fast for a public notification,” he stated.

Meanwhile, one user wrote on X, "NYC sending out an emergency alert about the earthquake 30 minutes after the earthquake is peak NYC Adams administration."

"Getting an earthquake emergency alert a full 30+ minutes after it happened is the best example of NY government," remarked another X user.

"Look Miss Emergency Alert System, if this had been a bad earthquake, we would have all been dead and/or buried for 40 minutes by the time you got yourself together to send this," a third user chimed in.

  • Shweta Kukreti
    ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    Shweta Kukreti

    Shweta Kukreti has over 8 years of experience in covering Indian and world politics. She joined the Hindustan Times in 2024 and is primarily assigned to the US desk. She currently works as Deputy Chief Content Producer and reports on a wide range of topics, including US politics, immigration issues (especially H-1B visa) and major global events. Shweta strongly emphasizes team operations, which encompasses monitoring news, delegating tasks, editing, developing comprehensive coverage strategies, and crafting engaging, and data-informed narratives. She received the Digi Star Award at the Hindustan Times within a year of joining for her broad coverage of US politics. In 2025, she earned both a promotion and a redesignation, a significant achievement recognising her contributions and the strong value she brings to the team. She has previously worked with the Indian Express, HTDS, ANI and Republic World. Seniors in all the media organisations recognised her work. Regarding education, she earned a BA (Hons.) in Political Science and a master's degree from Delhi University, and she pursued a PG Diploma in English Journalism from the Indian Institution of Mass Communication (IIMC). She also holds a diploma in Women's Empowerment and Development from IGNOU University and a French certification course from Alliance Française de Delhi. If not working, you can find her exploring the hills and engaging in adventurous activities in Rishikesh and Himachal Pradesh. She loves to play badminton, volleyball, and chess, and spend time with her friends and family. She also enjoys spiritual activities.Read More