Small earthquake rattles parts of New York City area, New Jersey

(NEW YORK) — A small earthquake rattled some parts of the New York City area Saturday night, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

The epicenter of the 3.0 magnitude quake was northeast of Hasbrouck Heights, New Jersey, in Bergen County, about 10 kilometers below the surface, USGS said.

Though the quake was relatively minor, there were reports of brief shaking in parts of the area.

In a statement posted on social media, New York City Emergency Management said tremors may have been felt in parts of New York City but that there were no reports of injuries or damage in the city.

Xan Davidson, a USGS analyst, told ABC News that while earthquakes are relatively rare on the East Coast, a magnitude 3.0 is not considered a significant quake.

“We would not expect there to be a lot of damage,” Davidson said. “It would just be shaking.”

In April 2024, New York City and New Jersey were rocked by a rare 4.8 magnitude earthquake, which officials said was one of the largest earthquakes on the East Coast in the last century.

That quake was centered near Whitehouse Station, New Jersey, and shook buildings from Philadelphia to New Jersey and New York City to Connecticut and Westchester, New York.

“Earthquakes do happen here, but it’s not something that happens frequently,” Davidson said, referencing the 2024 quake.

Davidson said the wide area of people who reported feeling Saturday’s quake — reaching as far as Connecticut — is not unexpected and that there was little cause for alarm.