Rare magnitude 4.8 earthquake strikes New Jersey, shaking felt in Canada

According to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), a strong magnitude 4.8 earthquake struck just seven kilometres north of Whitehouse Station, New Jersey on Friday morning.

The quake hit just after 10:20 a.m. ET, at a depth of 4.7 km, the USGS said.

No damage was reported by Friday afternoon, but shaking was felt in New York City, Philadelphia, Boston, and across the eastern U.S. -- areas that rarely experience notable seismic activity like this.

There were even tremors reported in parts of Canada, including Ontario, Quebec, and New Brunswick.

“Thankfully there have been no reports of injuries or damage, but additional aftershocks are still possible. Please be prepared and take steps to stay safe,” New York Governor Kathy Hochul said Friday afternoon.

Following the earthquake, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a ground stop at nine major airports from Baltimore to New York City while crews assessed air traffic control facilities. Flights resumed about an hour later, with residual delays lingering into the afternoon.

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“While this earthquake is relatively small globally, earthquakes of this magnitude are commonly widely felt in the eastern United States because of efficient seismic wave propagation in the region,” the USGS said on Friday.

Smaller tremors are common across the eastern half of North America, although damaging earthquakes can and do happen.

A 5.8 earthquake that struck central Virginia in 2011 caused significant damage in the region, including to the iconic Washington Monument. The 2011 quake was widely felt throughout southern Ontario and southern Quebec.

A significant fault line beneath coastal South Carolina triggered a devastating M7.0 earthquake in Charleston on August 31, 1886.

Friday’s tremor is possibly the fourth-largest earthquake ever recorded in New Jersey, and the strongest reported there since a magnitude 5.3 quake struck in 1884—140 years ago.

WATCH: Earthquake rattles residents in eastern U.S.

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Be sure to check back for updates on this developing story.

With files from Reuters