A small aftershock hit New Jersey during Monday’s solar eclipse, according to officials.
According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), a 1.3 magnitude earthquake hit about 2.5 miles west of Bedminster, N.J., around 3:42 p.m. At the same time, the solar eclipse was still occurring in the region, about 20 minutes off of the moon’s peak coverage of the sun, according to a NASA eclipse-tracking website.
Friday morning, a 4.8 magnitude earthquake hit the New York and New Jersey region. Multiple aftershocks were also reported by officials on the same day.
The initial quake was felt as far as Philadelphia and Boston, and some regional airports issued ground stops in its wake.
The USGS reported Friday evening that New Jersey experienced an aftershock with a 4.0 magnitude at 5:59 p.m.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) warned of aftershocks shortly after the morning earthquake, but she said they weren’t expected to cause major damage.
“This is one of the largest earthquakes on the East Coast in the last century,” Hochul said at a press conference shortly after the initial earthquake.
Earthquakes are unusual on the East Coast of the U.S. and are more common in the western part of the country due to its proximity to the boundaries of tectonic plates, whose movement often causes shaking in places like California and Washington state.
Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.