Earthquake shakes North Jersey communities Friday morning. What we know

Amanda Wallace , NorthJersey.com

An earthquake shook New Jersey, parts of New York, Philadelphia, Boston and the surrounding area Friday morning.

The United States Geological Survey reported a 4.8 magnitude centered in Tewksbury at 10:23 a.m. The epicenter was near Readington in Hunterdon County, according to a post on X from Governor Murphy.

"We have activated our State Emergency Operations Center," reads the post. "Please do not call 911 unless you have an actual emergency."

2.0 aftershock hits Bedminster

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, an aftershock with a magnitude of 2.0 was recorded in Bedminster at 11:20 a.m.

What is the chance of aftershocks?

According to the U.S. Geological Survey's aftershock forecast, the chances of an aftershock in the next day are:

  • Magnitude 3+: 34% chance

  • M 4+: 9%

  • M 5+: 1%

  • M 6+: less than 1%

  • M 7+: less than 1%

The chances of an aftershock in the next week are:

  • Magnitude 3+: 46% chance

  • M 4+: 16%

  • M 5+: 3%

  • M 6+: less than 1%

  • M 7+: less than 1%

In the event of an aftershock, FEMA recommends that you follow these tips to stay safe:

  • Drop, cover and hold on!

  • Avoid damaged structures.

  • If in a damaged building, go outside and move away from it.

NJ earthquake history: Friday's earthquake was the strongest in NJ since 1783. A look back

Local police departments answer earthquake calls

The Hackensack Police Department received many calls from the public about the reported earthquake. There is no report of any damage or injuries at this time.

More: Don't call 911 to report earthquakes, say police, after one town gets 100 calls in minutes

Various police departments, fire departments and emergency management offices have posted the request on their Facebook pages, noting that residents reserve calls for specific emergencies only. The Andover Township Police Department reported receiving more than 100 calls in under seven minutes immediately after the quake.

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Local school district alerts

The Teaneck school district sent out an alert following the quake that said, "At approximately 10:25 a.m., there was a confirmed earthquake of magnitude 4.7 that took place a mile from Tewksbury, NJ. This earthquake was felt in Teaneck. We want to reassure all our families that our students and staff are safe. We are currently assessing the safety of our district structures and will keep you updated." A follow-up email informed parents that there was no damage found.

New Jersey residents react to the quake

Rita Weiden, an East Brunswick resident who works in New York City was at 377 Broadway, a 12-story pre-war building located three blocks south of Canal Street. She was on the 8th floor when the earthquake hit.

"The floor was shaking under our feet and once we realized that it is possibly an earthquake, all of us used the staircase to get outside," she said. "Once outside I saw many people on their phones. I think everybody relaxed once they read that the earthquake measured 4.8 and the aftershocks are usually less and most returned to their offices."

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Sharon Girvan of the North Branch section of Branchburg near Raritan Valley Community College, about 9 miles from Lebanon, was in her basement when she heard a loud boom.

"I mean a really loud boom," Girvan said. Then the house started to shake, everything was shaking and rattling on the shelves. I thought the house was going to come down. I was so scared."

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Reports of unstable structures

Reports of minor damages and unstable structures are coming in from Newark and Bergen County.

Newark airport delays

According to Flight Aware, the Newark Liberty International Airport is currently experiencing:

  • departure delays an average of 1 hour 7 minutes (and increasing)

  • arrival delays for airborne aircraft of 46 minutes to 1 hour (and increasing)

  • all inbound flights being held at their origin until 12:30 p.m.

NJ Transit and Amtrak delays

The NJ Transit rail service is subject to system-wide delays of up to 20 minutes in both directions due to bridge inspections following the earthquake, according to a post on X.

Amtrak posted on X, "As of 11:05 a.m. ET, due to the 4.8 earthquake in New Jersey, Amtrak has initiated its track inspection protocol. Speed restrictions have been implemented throughout the Northeast until all inspections are completed."

This is a breaking story, check back for more information.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: New Jersey earthquake shakes houses with 4.8 magnitude

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