An earthquake rattled the Northeastern United States on Friday morning — and a strong aftershock struck in the early evening, around eight hours later.

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the initial 4.8 magnitude quake was centered 7 kilometers north of Whitehouse Station, N.J., about 50 miles west of New York City, at a depth of 4.7 kilometers.

It could be felt as far as south as Washington, D.C., and as far north as Boston. The USGS reported the aftershock, felt just after 6 p.m. ET, was 4.0 magnitude and centered near Gladstone, N.J.


Advertisement


Ground stops were issued at numerous airports, including Newark, JFK and Baltimore/Washington (in Maryland), while crews assessed any potential structural damage.

New Jersey Transit said rail service was subjected to up to 20-minute delays in both directions “due to bridge inspections” following the earthquake. But there were no service disruptions to Amtrak or the New York City subway system.

Many New York City residents took to social media to report feeling their apartments shaking. Anne-Marie Green, an anchor for CBS News, said that “it felt like a subway train was passing through the studio.”