On Friday morning at 10:23 a.m., a 4.8 magnitude earthquake centered in Lebanon, N.J., approximately 50 miles west of Manhattan, startled residents and disrupted flights across the New York City region. The tremors, felt from Philadelphia to Boston, prompted immediate ground stops at key airports including Newark Liberty, La Guardia, John F. Kennedy International, and Teterboro, with the Federal Aviation Administration (F.A.A.) noting potential delays.

Buildings throughout Manhattan swayed under the earthquake’s force, leading to evacuations and a palpable sense of alarm among the city’s inhabitants. Despite the widespread anxiety, the New York Police Department reported no significant damage, and Mayor Eric Adams’ office indicated that major impacts were not immediately evident, though assessments were ongoing.

The event underscored the Northeast’s vulnerability to seismic activity, despite its rarity. Previous incidents, such as the minor quakes in New York and New Jersey last year and the 2011 Virginia earthquake felt in Manhattan, highlight the region’s seismic history. Today’s quake serves as a reminder for preparedness in an area not typically associated with such natural occurrences.