Residents of New Jersey, New York City, and Westchester County experienced a notable earthquake on Saturday night.
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) confirmed the earthquake, which struck northern New Jersey at 10:18 p.m., with a magnitude of 3.0.
The quake’s epicenter was located in Hasbrouck Heights, Bergen County.
Social media was abuzz with reports from residents who felt the shaking across various locations, including Jersey City, Bergen, Morris, and Essex counties.
One resident from Jersey City shared, “What was that that just shook the house in jersey city? I’m on facetime with family and they felt it in Harrison and EO too…was it an earthquake?….wtf?”
In New York City, some residents reported hearing a loud boom, while those in Westchester County speculated that the sound might have come from a passing train or truck.
The tremors were even felt in western Connecticut, but fortunately, there have been no reports of injuries or damage.
Bergen County Sheriff Anthony Cureton took to social media shortly after the earthquake to reassure the public.
“A 3.0 magnitude earthquake was recorded in the Hasbrouck Heights area. Please do not be alarmed — there are currently no reports of damage or injuries. We’ll share updates as more information becomes available,” he posted.
Minutes later, the county’s Office of Emergency Management confirmed the event, advising residents that emergency services were aware and to only call 9-1-1 for emergencies.
Interestingly, this is not the first seismic event to hit Bergen County in recent months. On January 24, a smaller earthquake measuring 2.4 struck the region.
In describing the nature of this recent earthquake, the USGS explained that it occurred due to faulting at shallow depths within the Earth’s crust.
While this seismic activity didn’t occur near a tectonic plate boundary, such “intraplate” earthquakes can happen.
Although small on a global scale, earthquakes of this magnitude are often widely felt in the eastern United States due to the efficient transmission of seismic waves.
The eastern U.S. experiences infrequent earthquakes, but they are not entirely unexpected.
For context, a magnitude 4.8 earthquake occurred near Tewksbury, New Jersey, in April 2024, about 60 kilometers west-southwest of the August 2, 2025 earthquake.
The August 2 earthquake is not an aftershock of the April event because of the considerable distance separating them. However, aftershocks from the April earthquake are still being felt.
Since 1950, there have been 43 other recorded earthquakes of magnitude 3 and larger within 250 kilometers of the recent quake.
The Tewksbury earthquake remains the largest in this timeframe.
Notably, just last month on July 22, northern New Jersey experienced a series of minor seismic events, including six quakes within a 24-hour period, with magnitudes ranging from 0.7 to 2.0.
Earthquakes classified as ‘micro’ generally have magnitudes under 2.0 and are seldom felt at the surface, while those ranging from 2.0 to 2.9 are designated as ‘minor’ earthquakes and are more perceptible to the public.
This evolving seismic story serves as a reminder of the geological activity in the region.
image source from：patch
