In the wake of a magnitude-4.8 earthquake and several aftershocks — including a magnitude-3.8 tremor — that jolted New Jersey, New York, and much of the region, officials remained vigilant Saturday for any possible damage and additional aftershocks.
The quake hit around 10:23 a.m. Friday morning near New Jersey's Lebanon, a nearly-equidistant 45 miles from New York City and 50 miles from Philadelphia.
It was the strongest earthquake recorded in the region in at least five years and was felt in Philadelphia, Baltimore, Connecticut, and Rhode Island, according to reports and social media posts.
Reactions from multiple states started pouring in on social media minutes after the earthquake hit, reverberating across much of the Northeast.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul confirmed the quake and said her team was looking for reports of possible damage.
"A 4.8-magnitude earthquake hit west of Manhattan and has been felt throughout New York," she wrote on X.
"My team is assessing impacts and any damage that may have occurred, and we will update the public throughout the day."
The widespread — but apparently harmless — rumbling also elicited laughter across social media platforms.
Most notably, a post on X from the official Empire State Building read, "I AM FINE."
About an hour after the quake, the FDNY wrote on social media that it had responded to multiple "reports of building shaking" and was "evaluating structural stability," but had "no major incidents" to report.
