A slow shutter photo creating motion blur shows a Waxing Gibbous Moon as it sets behind One World Trade Center and the Manhattan skyline on Saturday night in New York City. The USGS confirmed a 3.0 magnitude earthquake shook northern New Jersey at 10:18 pm EDT and could be felt in New York City. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo
Aug. 3 (UPI) — A small earthquake was felt near New York City on Saturday night but left no reports of injuries or structural damage.
The 3.0-magnitude earthquake hit the New Jersey town of Hasbrouck Heights, about nine miles from Manhattan, around 10:18 p.m. local time, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
It had a depth of 10 kilometers and people reported feeling it as far as Philadelphia and New Haven, Connecticut.
The New York City Office of Emergency Management said after the tremors were felt that it was monitoring for potential impacts. It later said that there were no reports of damage.
The USGS explained that the earthquake happened as a result of faulting at shallow depths in the crust, and such earthquakes are infrequent but can be felt on the East Coast.
“Although this event did not occur near a plate boundary, such ‘intraplate’ earthquakes can and do occur,” the USGS said.
The earthquake prompted jokes on social media from accounts that include one for the Empire State Building, which quipped, “I AM FINE.”