Philadelphia shaken by 4.8 earthquake centered Friday in New Jersey, 4.0 aftershock reported: USGS
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The United States Geological Survey reported a 4.0 magnitude aftershock was felt about seven kilometers southwest of Gladstone, New Jersey at around 6 p.m. Friday. The aftershock was felt throughout parts of Philadelphia, New Jersey and New York.
This aftershock comes after a 4.8 magnitude earthquake was observed in North Jersey around 10:23 a.m. about seven kilometers from Whitehouse Station, New Jersey.
Shaking from the earthquake was felt in the city of Philadelphia, South Jersey and Delaware. Lebanon is in Hunterdon County, New Jersey and closer to New York City.
Whitehouse Station is about a 61.5-mile drive from Philadelphia.
Hunterdon County residents described a scary experience Friday morning as Tewksbury Township was the epicenter of a 4.8 magnitude earthquake.
On its Facebook page, Hunterdon County wrote there were no reports of injuries nor people who've been evacuated or displaced as a result of the earthquake, which struck at 10:23 a.m.
Nicholas Devlin said he was in bed just a few miles from the earthquake's epicenter when he felt the tremors.
"All of a sudden, this huge explosion. I thought a truck ran right into my house. It hit that hard," Devlin said. "It was the most frightening thing. I think I'm still shaken now from it."
He said the earthquake knocked down several objects, including some of his antique candlestick holders.
"You just don't expect anything like that," Devlin said. "I've never felt anything like that."
Kristina Feeley, who works at Oldwick General Store, said the shop was filled with customers when the earthquake struck.
"Everything was kind of shaking, a lot of rattling like the jars on the shelves were kind of rattling a little bit," Feeley said. "Thank God, nothing broke."
Hunterdon County said after the earthquake, two after-shocks occurred over a 90-minute span.
The county is currently assessing damage as it's starting to receive reports of structural issues on private properties.
"Earthquakes are scary. I mean, my very first one, and I swear I was shaking for the next hour or so," Devlin said.
"It gets you to your core."
Hunterdon County is urging homeowners to report any damage to their property through an online form on the county's website.
Shaking was also reportedly felt in Boston, Massachusetts, and calls into our newsroom said it was also felt in Burlington, Vermont.
Officials urge residents not to call 911
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said the state has activated the Emergency Operations Center and urged 911 calls to be reserved for emergencies.
The Philadelphia Police Department is urging people not to call 911 about the earthquake.
Philadelphia officials said residents can sign up for text message alerts about emergencies through ReadyPhiladelphia by texting 888-777.
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said he is monitoring the situation along with the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency.
NJ Transit, PATCO, Amtrak delays; SEPTA not impacted
SEPTA said there are no service disruptions as a result of the New Jersey earthquake.
PATCO has suspended service while they inspect the integrity of the line out of an abundance of caution following the earthquake. There is currently no word on how long the inspection will take.
NJ Transit is also delaying trains for up to 20 minutes so bridges can be inspected for safety following the earthquake.
There may be delays on Amtrak trains as speed restrictions are implemented. Train tracks are being inspected.
PHL Airport,not impacted by earthquake
There are no current impacts at Philadelphia International Airport from the earthquake.
"Runways were closed for inspection for about 10 minutes, however regular operations have resumed," a spokesperson for the airport told CBS News Philadelphia.
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What is an earthquake and how serious is a 4.7 or 4.8?
A magnitude 4.7 or 4.8 earthquake is considered a "light earthquake" and is not uncommon. While they are often felt, they generally cause no damage, CBS News reported.
Any damage would be more likely closest to the epicenter and older buildings made of brick and stone would be more likely to be affected, Temple professor Nick Davatzes said.
Earthquakes happen when the tectonic plates that make up Earth's crust slip or slide past each other, experts previously told CBS News.
Derrick Pitts, the chief astronomer at The Franklin Institute, said it's typical for the region to feel this type of earthquake every few years. He said the area last felt one like this back in 2011.
"There are earthquakes of far lesser magnitude that happened, but we tend not to notice them because of other background noise of trucks and construction and things like that," Pitts said. "So, when we get above 3.5 magnitude up into 4 and beyond, we actually start to feel it outside of all of the other stuff that's happening."
The level of shaking felt was not too different from a large truck driving by, Davatzes said.
"This is not the type of earthquake that typically causes a lot of damage," Pitts added. "There could be some outliers that occurred as a result of this, but I think what most people would say, they felt it or they maybe didn't even feel it because of other background noise that's happening around them."
Pitts said with earthquakes, the lower the magnitude of an earthquake, the greater the likelihood of an aftershock. He said the area likely wouldn't feel an aftershock of this one.
"It's not typical that we'll have an aftershock of the same magnitude in this case for this kind of earthquake," Pitts said.
No major damage is expected from this earthquake around Philadelphia. Any damage felt would likely be closer to the site - and would be minor, Davatzes said.
Modern buildings are made with construction techniques that can limit damage from earthquakes - but older, more rigid buildings made out of stone or brick might see some small cracks form or other minor issues, especially closer to the epicenter, Davatzes said.
Earlier this year, the U.S. Geological Survey warned that nearly 75% of the country could face potentially damaging earthquakes or intense ground shaking in the next century.
While areas like California and Alaska experience the most earthquakes, researchers also reported the potential for more damaging earthquakes along the Atlantic coast near cities like Washington, D.C. and Philadelphia.
