The Associated Press reported that the New York City metropolitan area experienced an earthquake on Friday (April 5). According to the outlet, the event was centered near Lebanon, New Jersey and had a magnitude of 4.8. Despite the quake's intensity, officials in New York received no initial reports of damage.

On Twitter, the New York City Mayor's office confirmed that Eric Adams was informed of the situation and they are still gauging the next steps. Spokesman Fabien Levy added that Adams and senior administration officials would be holding a briefing to discuss the impacts of the earthquake later this afternoon.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul also shared a similar message to residents. "A 4.8 magnitude earthquake hit west of Manhattan and has been felt throughout New York," she wrote. "My team is assessing impacts and any damage that may have occurred, and we will update the public throughout the day."

Residents, including artist and journalist Rob Markman, soon tweeted about the experience. "In New Jersey, my whole crib shook. S**t rattling on the walls. Things falling over," he stated. "I’m not built for this West Coast behavior. I don’t know how y'all do it." The quake's effects extended well beyond New York's metro area, with additional reports coming in from Baltimore, Philadelphia, Connecticut, and other East Coast areas unaccustomed to tremblors.

The event stirred memories of the August 2011 East Coast earthquake, which affected tens of millions from Georgia to Canada. That quake, which registered a magnitude of 5.8, was the strongest to hit that area since World War II. With an epicenter located in Virginia, the 2011 earthquake left cracks in the Washington Monument, prompted evacuations of the White House and the Capitol, and rattled New Yorkers just weeks before the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks.