Earthquake Measuring 3.0 Magnitude Strikes New Jersey, With Tremors Felt in New York City

A magnitude 3.0 earthquake rocked parts of New Jersey and New York on Saturday night. The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake struck around 10:18 p.m., six miles underground near Hasbrouck Heights, New Jersey. The USGS reported the epicenter as 0 kilometers northeast of the town, suggesting a shallow quake likely resulting the widespread feeling of tremors.

The borough of Bergen County is about 13 miles from Midtown Manhattan, and the tremors were reportedly felt in areas such as Upper Manhattan’s Hell’s Kitchen, Riverdale in The Bronx, and even Staten Island. Authorities said that no injuries or damage were immediately reported in New York City, as more details are awaited.

New Jersey Shakes

Local agencies, including the Paterson Police Department, said they are working in coordination with county and state officials. They have advised anyone impacted to dial 911 to report any emergencies or injuries.

One person said the ground shaking lasted up to 10 seconds in certain areas of New Jersey, while briefer tremors were also noted in Nutley, NJ, located around nine miles south of Hasbrouck Heights.

“It sounded like a bang, followed by a shake and it lasted about two seconds,” Erica Pirchio, 40, who was in Nutley, told The New York Post.

“I have experienced two earthquakes in New York and New Jersey and this was the most violent — I never heard an earthquake before that sounded like a thud,” said Pirchio, adding, “I thought one of my parents fell.”

Residents on Staten Island also reported hearing an unusually loud bang. “It almost sounded like a car hit the side of the house, the house was swaying,” said Evan Ferrer, 33, who was watching a movie with his girlfriend at their home near South Beach at the time of the rattling.

“The one from 2024 was longer, but didn’t have a boom as extreme as this. It was a boom followed by swaying that lasted for a few seconds.”

Back in April, New Yorkers felt a rare 4.8-magnitude earthquake that hit near Lebanon, NJ, but the tremors were strong enough to be felt throughout New York City.

Risky Zone

The late-night tremor comes just one day after a powerful earthquake off Russia’s coast was detected over 4,700 miles away in Upstate New York, showcasing the remarkable distance seismic waves can travel.

According to USGS data, the quake hit roughly 84 miles east-southeast of Kamchatka around 7:24 p.m. EST on Friday.

With a magnitude of 8.8, the quake stands as the sixth most powerful ever recorded.

Meteorologist Howard Mange explained that seismic activity from the massive quake was detected by a seismometer in Binghamton, New York.

The first to be recorded were the primary waves, known as P-waves, which arrived at the seismometer roughly 11 minutes after the earthquake began.

These waves are the quickest type of seismic wave, traveling in the same direction as the motion—much like sound waves—and are typically the first signals picked up after a quake.

Around 22 minutes later, the seismometer picked up the slower secondary waves, or S-waves. These waves move particles side-to-side and are unable to pass through liquids.

Finally, about 36 minutes after the earthquake, the surface waves—typically the slowest yet often the most intense—reached New York.