4.8 magnitude earthquake shakes much of East Coast Friday morning; epicenter in Hunterdon County

LEBANON, N.J. — At 10:23 am Friday morning an earthquake shook much of the East Coast.

Numerous reports have been coming in since that time.

According to initial reports from the United States Geological Survey, the quake measured 4.8 on the Richter scale and was centered in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, about three miles northeast of Lebanon.

The earthquake was centered near Whitehouse Station, New Jersey, and shook buildings from Philadelphia to New Jersey and New York City to Connecticut and Westchester, New York.

The earthquake could be felt as far south as Washington, D.C., and as far north as Maine, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

There were no reports of injuries or major damage.

"There is a low likelihood of casualties and damage," according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

"We have activated our State Emergency Operations Center," New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said in a post on X, formerly Twitter. "Please do not call 911 unless you have an actual emergency."

"My team and PEMA (Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency) are actively monitoring the situation and in contact with counties on any damage. We will keep Pennsylvanians updated," said Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro.

If you live in Lehigh County and have damage from the earthquake you are asked to fill out a form online using the damage assessment survey.

Officials say some flights have been diverted to Lehigh Valley International Airport as well.

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Bethlehem Area School District alerted parents of the earthquake and says principals are reviewing and managing the Earthquake Checklist. Students will remain in school.

What's going on in the Lehigh Valley has been receiving numerous messages - many through Facebook. Updates will be made to this story.

The quake was also reported to have been felt in Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, and New York.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul posted on X that the quake was felt throughout the state.

 Hochul said, "My team is assessing impacts and any damage that may have occurred, and we will update the public throughout the day,"

According to WFMZ News, some Brooklyn residents heard a booming sound and their building shaking. In an apartment house in Manhattan's East Village, a resident from more earthquake-prone California calmed nervous neighbors.

This is a developing story - updates will be published as they come in.

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