The United States Geological Survey (USGS) reported on Tuesday (March 10) that a magnitude 2.3 earthquake occurred in New York State, with a depth of approximately 4.5 miles. The epicenter was in the Sleepy Hollow area of Westchester County, about 25 miles north of New York City. Many areas felt the tremor, prompting people to report to the USGS.
Officials from USGS stated that the earthquake struck at 10:17 am, with the epicenter near Sleepy Hollow. Ken Jenkins, the County Executive of Westchester, mentioned that the county’s emergency services department had not received any reports of damage or operational issues. “Officials at the former Indian Point nuclear power plant site also reported that operations were unaffected and undergoing precautionary on-site surveys following standard safety procedures.”
According to the USGS, thousands of reports were received within minutes of the earthquake. Areas as far as Poughkeepsie to the north, western Connecticut, and northeastern New Jersey experienced the tremor.
People also took to social media to report the tremors felt in various regions.
“In Ossining, it felt like an explosion happened,” a netizen named Miller wrote on Facebook.
“Felt it at 10:17 am this morning; too scary; even my cat was frightened,” said a netizen named Mentarvo.
Some netizens heard “rumbling and a loud noise”; others felt like “the house was collapsing”; someone thought “a truck had crashed”; and others felt the “bed shaking.”
Officials from the New York City Emergency Management Department stated, “Earthquakes of this magnitude usually have lower magnitudes and rarely cause damage, but residents in neighboring areas, such as some in the Bronx, may have felt brief tremors. It is expected that New York City will not be affected.”
The Richter scale ranges from 1 to 9 and is used to measure the intensity of earthquakes, with 9 being the strongest. Earthquakes with a magnitude below 3.0 are considered relatively weak.
The most recent vivid memory of an earthquake for New Yorkers was in 2024. Two years ago, a 4.8 magnitude earthquake hit New York City, northern New Jersey, and surrounding areas. According to USGS estimates, that earthquake was felt by 42 million people.
The US Geological Survey stated that aftershocks are common after seismic activity. Aftershocks are smaller earthquakes that occur on the same fault or in nearby areas as a result of the Earth adjusting. Aftershocks can continue for days, months, or even years and may still cause damage, especially to buildings already affected by the main earthquake.