Hunterdon County Earthquake Shakes Region

A magnitude 4.8 earthquake shook Bucks and Hunterdon counties on Friday morning.

The Earth-shaker’s epicenter was pinpointed near Lebanon, Hunterdon County, New Jersey, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

The seismic event, which happened approximately 19 miles from the New Hope-Lambertville Bridge, prompted a pause across the area as the ground and buildings trembled just before 10:25 a.m. An audible rumble filled the air.

Social media reports indicated the earthquake was felt in Philadelphia and New York City. Some people posted that it was felt into New England.

A 4.8 magnitude earthquake hit New Jersey and was felt in parts of Pennsylvania.
 
My team and @PEMAHQ are actively monitoring the situation and in contact with counties on any damage. We will keep Pennsylvanians updated.

— Governor Josh Shapiro (@GovernorShapiro) April 5, 2024

Despite the widespread alarm caused by the quake’s unexpected arrival, initial assessments revealed no significant damage. However, authorities were stilling getting a handle on the situation.

Experts in seismic activity noted that earthquakes of that magnitude typically result in minor structural impacts, if any.

The last notable earthquake in the area happened in 2021.

In September 2020, a small earthquake in central New Jersey shook the Levittown area. Previous to that, there was an earthquake felt in April 2019. Other earthquakes were felt in November 2017 and in August 2012 when an afternoon tremor shook from Virginia to New England.

The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) reported in a years-old document that small quakes were centered near the Levittown area in 1961, 1981 and April and May 1982.

While stronger earthquakes can happen in Pennsylvania, they are rare, according to a state report from the late 1980s.