Did you feel that?

Quake Arena

A small earthquake has hit the East Coast, rattling a highly populated area that doesn't commonly experience much seismic activity.

The epicenter appears to have been in New Jersey, around 50 miles from New York City, with effects radiating out to cities including Philadelphia and Boston.

According to preliminary data from the Euro-Mediterranean Seismological Center, the earthquake had a magnitude of 5.5. Per the US Geological Survey, the tremor had a magnitude of 4.7, enough to be felt, but not known to cause any major damage.

According to the Associated Press, the Fire Department of New York confirmed there were no initial reports of damage.

Coast Historical

Though quakes frequently rumble on the United States' West Coast, it's much rarer for seismic activity to shake the East Coast enough to be felt.

The last really significant quake in the New York City area, in fact, was more than a hundred years ago in 1884. For perspective on today's event, that event was estimated to have had a magnitude of 5.2, while the emerging consensus is that today's figure seems to have been a little less than 5.

The reality, geologists say, is that the East Coast does experience relatively frequent quakes — but they're often so faint that they're entirely imperceptible.

For their part, New Yorkers are taking the event in stride.

More on quakes: Huge Pendulum in Skyscraper Protected It When Epic Earthquake Struck


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