Why Everyone Is Talking About Hillsdale, NJ Right Now – What’s Happening and How It Affects You

Residents across Bergen County and the wider New York City metro felt the ground tremble again Tuesday afternoon as a magnitude-2.7 earthquake struck just southwest of Hillsdale, New Jersey at 12:11 p.m. ET. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the epicenter was roughly two kilometers from the borough’s downtown, shallow enough—about 5 km deep—to send sharp jolts through neighboring towns like Ridgewood, Park Ridge, and parts of Rockland County. Office workers reported computer screens shaking, while homeowners said dishes rattled for several seconds before the motion faded. This is the second quake to rattle the region in three days. On Saturday evening a stronger magnitude-3.0 event hit near Hasbrouck Heights, raising concern that Tuesday’s tremor could be an aftershock in an ongoing seismic sequence. Seismologists note that small quakes are not unusual along the Ramapo Fault system, but two noticeable events in quick succession are rare enough to draw extra scrutiny. No injuries or major structural damage had been reported by late afternoon, according to Hillsdale’s Office of Emergency Management. Borough officials urged residents to inspect chimneys, foundations, and gas lines, and to report any cracks or leaks to the local building department. NJ Transit said train service on the Pascack Valley Line continued without interruption after inspections cleared the tracks. Why the cluster? Geologists point to accumulated stress along ancient fault lines that slice through Bergen County and under the Hudson River. When that stress surpasses the friction locking the faults, short snaps release energy as low-magnitude quakes. While Tuesday’s 2.7 shock was too weak to trigger widespread damage, experts warn that even modest temblors can loosen masonry and compromise older brick façades common in North Jersey suburbs. What to do next • If you felt shaking, file a “Did You Feel It?” report on the USGS website to help scientists refine intensity maps. • Check basement walls and chimneys for new cracks and photograph any changes for insurance claims. • Refresh your emergency kit with bottled water, flashlights, batteries, and a portable phone charger. • Secure tall bookcases, televisions, and hanging plants with anti-tip straps or hooks. Local schools plan to review earthquake-response drills at the start of the fall semester, and the Bergen County Office of Homeland Security said it will conduct a workshop on retrofitting older homes for seismic safety later this month. With two quakes in under 72 hours, residents are understandably on edge, but seismologists stress that there is no reliable way to predict if a stronger tremor will follow. “Aftershocks become less likely as hours pass, but the only certainty is preparedness,” said Dr. Lisa Anderson, a Rutgers geophysicist specializing in intraplate seismicity. As Hillsdale and surrounding towns tally today’s minor rattles, the event is a sober reminder that the Garden State sits on active geologic real estate—no longer just a curiosity, but a call to bolster readiness before the next jolt strikes.