By Hank Russell
Long Islanders were in a state of shock after feeling tremors from an earthquake that hit both Suffolk and Nassau Counties.
The origin of the temblor came from central New Jersey on April 5 at approximately 10:23 a.m., according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The magnitude was 4.8, with the resulting tremors being felt throughout New York City, Long Island, New York State and the East Coast.
Long Island Life & Politics has reached out to the Suffolk and Nassau police and fire departments confirming any damage and/or injuries as a result of the aftershocks.
“There was no damage,” said Chief James Hickman of the Nassau County Fire Marshal’s office. “We have been getting phone calls from fire departments around the county [about the earthquake] but there [were] no [reports of] damage.”
LILP sent an email to Suffolk County Fire Rescue and Emergency Services, but has yet to receive a response.
This reporter also reached out to both the Suffolk and Nassau County Police Departments to ask if they have received reports of damages or any injuries. An SCPD spokesperson replied, “We don’t know yet.” An NCPD spokesperson said they are “checking it out” and would “give it a few hours” before they learn anything.
LILP also reached out to PSEG-Long Island to see if there were any power outages or gas leaks reported. We have not received a response as of press time.
In a Facebook post, Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine posted, “No major incidents have been reported at this time. The Office of Emergency Management continues to monitor the situation and my office is in communication with our region’s local governments, hospitals and emergency management agencies.”
At an afternoon press conference, Governor Kathy Hochul said that the roads, bridges and dams will be inspected for any damage. She also noted that the LIRR and MTA trains are fully operational and running on time. However, “We’re taking this extremely seriously and here’s why: there is always the possibility of aftershocks,” she said, adding an earthquake of this magnitude has not been felt here since 2011.
“This is one of the largest earthquakes on the East Coast to occur in the last century,” Hochul said. “It’s been a very unsettling day, to say the least.”
In the event of an aftershock, officials are asking the public to:
- Drop to the floor
- Cover their necks
- Hold onto something sturdy
- Be careful around structurally unsound buildings
- Leave your residence if it begins to shake
- Return only when the aftershocks have stopped and check the residence for cracks or any other damage
This article will be updated as more details come in.