Ground shaking felt from Boston to Baltimore; minimal damage expected
On April 5 at 10:23 a.m. local time (2:23 p.m. UTC), a magnitude (Mw) 4.8 earthquake occurred in Hunterdon County, New Jersey at a depth of 4.7 km (2.92 miles), according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). The epicenter of the quake was about 72 km (45 miles) west of New York City.
As of 2 p.m. EDT on April 5, no significant damage has been reported. However, the CoreLogic Event Response Team continues to monitor the situation.
When Was the Last Earthquake in New York?
The last major earthquake in the region was the Mw 5.8 earthquake on August 23, 2011.
The earthquake occurred in Virginia and startled tens of millions of people from the southern U.S. to Canada. The 2011 event unsettled people across the region and resulted in an evacuation of the White House and U.S. Capitol.
In the region spanning New York City to Washington, D.C., moderate earthquakes occur roughly every 50 years, with smaller events felt every two to three years.
Due to local soil conditions and the way seismic waves travel, earthquakes in the eastern U.S. cover a broader area compared to those in the West. A Mw 4.0 earthquake in the region can be felt within roughly 100 km (60 miles) of the epicenter and can occasionally cause local damage. A Mw 5.5 earthquake can have effects up to 500 km (310 miles) away, sometimes causing damage up to 40 km (25 miles) from the epicenter.
Understand Your Portfolio’s Exposure to Natural Hazards
This recent event serves as a reminder that low risk does not mean no risk.
Even when the probability of damage is low, homeowners and insurers are encouraged to understand their risk to help accelerate their recovery.
Visit www.hazardhq.com for updates on the April 5 Mw 4.8 earthquake and information on future catastrophes around the globe.
©2024 CoreLogic, Inc. The CoreLogic statements and information in this blog post may not be reproduced or used in any form without express written permission. While all the CoreLogic statements and information are believed to be accurate, CoreLogic makes no representation or warranty as to the completeness or accuracy of the statements and information and assumes no responsibility whatsoever for the information and statements or any reliance thereon. CoreLogic® and Hazard HQ Command Central™ are the trademarks of CoreLogic, Inc. and/or its subsidiaries.
Contact: Please email [email protected] with questions about this earthquake or any CoreLogic event response notifications. Visit http://www.hazardhq.com for updates and information on catastrophes across the globe.