Rare 4.0 Magnitude Earthquake Jolts New Jersey—Did You Feel It?

Residents across northern New Jersey and the greater New York City metro area felt the ground shake twice in four days, as a pair of rare but shallow quakes rippled through Bergen County, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). SATURDAY NIGHT’S 3.0 MAIN SHOCK • Time and location: 10:18 p.m. ET, August 2, centered beneath Hasbrouck Heights, roughly eight miles west of Midtown Manhattan. • Magnitude and depth: 3.0, at an estimated depth of 6.2 miles (10 km). • Impact: More than 6,000 “Did You Feel It?” reports streamed into the USGS from as far as Connecticut and central New Jersey. No structural damage or injuries were reported, but residents described brief swaying, rattling windows and a distinctive rumble that lasted three to five seconds. TUESDAY AFTERNOON’S 2.7 AFTERSHOCK • Time and location: 12:02 p.m. ET, August 5, about 1.2 miles southwest of Hillsdale—just 10 miles north-northwest of Saturday’s epicenter. • Magnitude and depth: 2.7, at a depth of roughly 7.7 miles. • Impact: Nearly 300 felt reports were logged within the first hour. The shaking, described as a quick jolt in Ridgewood and Paramus, lasted fewer than five seconds. WHY EARTHQUAKES HAPPEN IN NEW JERSEY Although the Garden State sits hundreds of miles from the edge of the North American Plate, a web of ancient faults still threads the region’s bedrock. Stress slowly accumulates until it releases as “intraplate” quakes—usually mild, but widely felt because the dense Eastern crust transmits seismic energy efficiently, says USGS geophysicist Xan Davidson. Since 1950, at least 43 quakes of magnitude 3 or higher have struck within 155 miles of Bergen County. COULD STRONGER SHAKING FOLLOW? USGS models give a roughly 15 percent chance of additional aftershocks of magnitude 2.5 or greater during the next week, and a very low (under 1 percent) probability of a quake stronger than Saturday’s 3.0. Officials recommend residents secure heavy furniture, know safe “drop, cover, and hold on” procedures, and sign up for local emergency alerts. REMEMBERING 2024’S 4.8 TEMBLOR The last widely felt New Jersey earthquake occurred on April 5, 2024, when a magnitude 4.8 struck near Whitehouse Station, shaking the entire Northeast and spawning at least 10 aftershocks. Saturday’s and Tuesday’s events were weaker, but they underscore that the region’s seismic risk—while moderate—remains real. WHAT TO DO IF YOU FEEL SHAKING 1. Drop to your hands and knees. 2. Cover your head and neck under a sturdy desk or table. 3. Hold on until the motion stops. 4. Afterward, check for gas leaks, fallen power lines and structural damage before re-entering buildings. 5. Report what you felt to the USGS “Did You Feel It?” survey to help scientists refine intensity maps. KEYWORDS TO WATCH NJ earthquake today, New Jersey earthquake, Bergen County earthquake, Hasbrouck Heights quake, Hillsdale aftershock, USGS earthquake report, Tri-State tremor, North Jersey seismic activity, earthquake preparedness in NJ. With no damage but plenty of frayed nerves, the latest tremors serve as a rumbling reminder that even in the Northeast, the earth can move when we least expect it—and preparation is the best defense.