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USGS: 4.8 Earthquake Felt In NY And Surrounding Areas; Soon: NY Governor Kathy Hochul To Speak On Earthquake. Aired 11-11:30a ET

Aired April 05, 2024 - 11:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

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[11:01:05]

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Wolf Blitzer with the CNN NEWSROOM. And we're following breaking news out of New York right now. A 4.8 -- 4.8 magnitude earthquake rattling the tri state area just a few moments ago. Initial reports indicate the shaking was felt in New York, in New Jersey, down in Philadelphia, as well as Washington, D.C., where I am.

Right now, the NYPD says no damages or injuries have been reported, but it only happened a few moments ago. New York's governor, Kathy Hochul, says her team is assessing the impact. And the New Jersey governor, Phil Murphy, says he's activated the state's Emergency Operations Center. CNN is, of course, covering the story from all angles. I want to go to our meteorologist, Elisa Raffa. She's over at the CNN Weather Center for us. So, Elisa, walk us through what we know so far.

ELISA RAFFA, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, Wolf, I mean, I know that New Yorkers are quite shaken, both figuratively and literally, by this earthquake. We know it was a 4.8 magnitude earthquake with that epicenter in central New Jersey. It was a pretty shallow earthquake, which is why so many people were able to feel the shaking. Looking at some numbers, at least 23 million people felt light shaking.

Three hundred thousand people felt some of that moderate shaking. So I know from people in New York that they had things that were shaking on shelves and getting tossed around and tossed over. I know people that were driving on the roads and felt it while they were driving in the heart of New York City. Now, this area is not really prone to earthquakes, right? We don't really have a big seismic fault or anything on the east coast here.

It's not like what we've been talking about in Taiwan that seven point magnitude earthquake that, you know, sits in an area that's prone to very large earthquakes on the ring of fire or it's not even like California. Also another spot that is prone to earthquakes sitting on multiple fault lines. This is an area that doesn't really get earthquakes like this. So it quite, again, iteratively and figuratively really shakes people in this area because 4.8 magnitude is significant on that scale.

You know, again, many people feeling that shaking. So again, it is shallow which is why people were able to feel the shaking that happened at about 10:20 this morning, many reports of that. And I know from and friends, I'm from New York, so I was able to call some family and friends that, you know, things were kind of shaking and toppling, you know, in the city.

No reports yet of damage. And an earthquake of this scale could maybe do some isolated damage. But again, it's not the kind of scale and scope that we were talking about earlier this week in Taiwan. Again, I think it just kind of mostly figuratively shakes, you know, the emotions and rattles people because this is an area where you wouldn't expect to get earthquakes. You wouldn't really expect that at all.

So if we can continue to show some of the maps that we have here, if we can kind of click through, we can show where we've got some of the shaking and what some of those impacts might be, 4.8 magnitude would be very light on the impacts. It would be light on the damage. Here is a look at the population again, like I said, that center right there in New Jersey, but you can see that it stretches over into Long Island. We had reports of people feeling it down towards Philly, up into Connecticut, you know, just spreading with some of that shaking.

A lot of it, again, pretty weak. But you know, at least some of those people did feel some of the stronger shaking as well. And some of these impacts again, could be on the wider side for something like this. But, you know, not in an area. This is just an area that's just not used to it. We just don't really see this type of, you know, shaking or this type of impact here on this part of the East Coast, right? So again, this is the population that felt that earthquake, 4.8 magnitude in the center there of New Jersey being felt across the tri state area and it just really rattles people there because they just don't get things like this there. Wolf?

[11:05:14]

BLITZER: Yes, it's very, very scary. Remember a few years ago when we had an earthquake here in Washington, D.C., and it was very frightening for all of us. We were on a high floor, but we could feel it. I didn't feel anything this time. But friends of mine are texting me right now in the Washington, D.C. area, in Maryland and Virginia, they felt it as well. So we're watching this very closely. I want to go to CNN national correspondent Gloria Pazmino. She's joining me on the phone right now. She's in Queens, New York. What was it like where you are, Gloria?

GLORIA PAZMINO, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: So Wolf, I have to tell, you know, I've lived in New York City my whole life. Never have I experienced what we just did shortly before 10:30 this morning. I was about to leave the apartment and suddenly everything started shaking. I could feel the floor was shaking. I could hear the dishes and my cabinets were rattling.

Initially, I thought there was a big truck driving down my street. You know, I live in an old pre-war building, second floor apartment, and sometimes when heavy vehicles go down the road, the apartment does shake a little bit. But I have to say, after the first five, six seconds, it became pretty clear it was an earthquake. You mentioned the earthquake we felt in this area several years ago that felt like it was a lot shorter and not as strong as this last one.

And we've been hearing from people on the air. You know, this is just an area of the country where we are not used to feeling this kind of thing. So it is extremely sort of jarring and shocking when you feel it. You know, I could feel the floor shaking underneath my feet. I could hear my neighbors upstairs that were coming down the stairs and heading out to the street because for a moment there, I wasn't sure if it was safe. I could hear the neighbors asking each other if they were OK.

But we should say that as of the last few minutes, we have heard from the fire department here in New York. They did receive reports of shaking buildings and they are responding to calls to evaluate structural stability. So far, there have been no major incidents here in the New York City area, but they are continuing to monitor. It was definitely a few seconds, Wolf, of wondering what was going on. Nothing have I -- had never felt anything like it in my years of living here in New York.

BLITZER: Yes. Gloria standby, the mayor of New York, Eric Adams, his office just posted this on social media. New York City just felt the impacts of a 4.8 magnitude earthquake with an epicenter of Lebanon, New Jersey. New York City's mayor is being briefed. This is from the office of the mayor. While we do not have any reports of major impacts at this time, we are still assessing the impact. So they're bracing for a lot more.

And, Gloria, I know you're still with us, so let's talk a little bit about the great fear once there's an earthquake is that there will also be aftershocks, which could be very damaging as well. So far, you felt the earthquake, but you haven't felt any aftershocks, have you?

PAZMINO: I have not, no. And the mayor's aides have also put out a tweet advising people that the possibility of aftershocks, that they're possible and not to panic and what to do if we're to feel an aftershock. I have not felt anything since shortly before 10:30, which is when we first felt the earthquake. So, you know, we'll see. Hopefully we don't feel that again because it was quite unpleasant.

But, you know, as you said, this is just not an area where we're used to this kind of thing. I know our friends in the West Coast and in California are used to this. But, you know, New York City is not a place that is built for this kind of thing, not a place that is used to feeling this. So I do think it's scary for people. And there is concern. You know, New York being a very old city with a lot of aging infrastructure.

Again, I want to be clear. So far, no reports of any damage or any injuries or anything like that. But I am sure that it does concern people, considering that this is not a place that is either used or equipped for this kind of phenomenon.

[11:10:05]

BLITZER: Yes. And we're showing, Gloria, our viewers, a map on the left part of the screen. And you can see the epicenter to the west of New York City in Lebanon, New Jersey, not too far away. But that's why it was felt in the New Jersey area, New York City area, obviously Connecticut as well. It was also felt down here in Washington, D.C., in the area, including Maryland as well. So we're watching this.

No reports of structural damage or any serious problems, at least not yet. But it's very, very early. It just happened a few moments ago. CNN's Polo Sandoval is in New York for us right now. Polo, what are you seeing? What are you hearing? How did it feel?

POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, here on the streets of New York speaking to folks on the sidewalk, and reaction is a bit mixed. Some people certainly felt it while others. They just spoke to a couple visiting from Mexico City, certainly no stranger to this kind of shaking. They didn't really feel a thing about 30, 35 minutes ago when this event took place here. Some preliminary numbers from the U.S. Geological Survey here tells you, really paints a clear picture of the potential impacts here in terms of the number of people that likely affected this earthquake earlier this morning.

According to preliminary reports, some roughly 23 million people lightly experienced some light shaking, about 300,000 moderate shaking, and about 9,000 people likely experience what's being described by USGS as strong shaking. This is all based on some of those preliminary reports right now, that preliminary information that indicates that this was a 4.7 magnitude earthquake that rocked the region earlier this morning.

But a key takeaway right now, Wolf, in terms of what's happening on the streets of New York. It is relatively business as usual. Right now, though, people are certainly buzzing about the events that took place earlier today. But the main point that we're getting right now from New York City officials, as you just reiterated and so did our colleague, Gloria, is that there are no injuries to report at this time, also no any signs of damage. But, you know, speaking to friends and loved ones in the area, they certainly felt it.

I know that my wife felt it and she lives here in New York City. And so there's certainly a concern about aftershocks. So we haven't seen or felt any indication of that. The mayor's office recommending that should that take place, they're putting out some guidance for residents that it's important for people to either to drop to the floor, cover their head and neck and then take additional cover under heavy furniture should that take place.

But again, at this point, it seems that event took place at about 10:30, and here on the streets of New York, it is business as usual. But you ask them about the earthquake, and they're certainly ready to talk about it. Wolf?

BLITZER: Yes, there certainly is. It's pretty scary stuff, indeed. Stand by, Polo. We're going to get back to you as well.

I want to bring in Susan Hough right now. She's a seismologist for the U.S. Geological Survey. Susan, thank you very much for joining us. Give us some context right now. First of all, what can you tell us about this 4.8 earthquake? SUSAN HOUGH, SEISMOLOGIST, U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY: Well, so the estimate now is 4.7. It might vary a little bit. It is obviously not a usual event. It's not unheard of that on the West Coast of North America, you have an active plate boundary. You have the San Andreas Fault. And we know that's an active earthquake zone.

On the East Coast, the continent and the ocean are glued together. You don't have an active plate boundary, but you do have stress. And we have had moderately large earthquakes and damaging earthquakes up and down the Atlantic seaboard in Charleston, South Carolina, in 1886, in Virginia in 2011, in Quebec in 1989. So they do happen. Going back to the 1700s and 1800s, there were earthquakes close to magnitude five near New York City. So we've just had one of these infrequent events.

We don't -- 4.7, we don't expect to be large enough to cause damage. It's just not that big. But it is strong enough, as people have been describing, to be strongly felt.

BLITZER: And you say 4.7 because we had heard it had been upgraded to 4.8. But the latest information you're getting, Susan, is there was a 4.7 magnitude?

HOUGH: Your information may be more up to date than mine is, that the estimates between, you know, 0.1, they're going to change a little bit as the data are looked at more closely.

BLITZER: Should folks out there, because it's been felt not only in New York, but in Connecticut, in New Jersey, including down here in Washington, D.C., in suburban Maryland, folks have felt that. Should people be worried right now about aftershocks?

HOUGH: Sure. That's a great question. I mean earthquakes in the east are felt farther than the same size earthquake in the west, because of the nature of the earth's crust is different in the two places, so it's typical that people have felt this one so widely. Yes, aftershocks are always possible in magnitude 3-ish would be expected. Those would probably be felt more in the local area. There is always a small chance that an earthquake is going to be followed by something bigger within a few days, typically.

[11:15:01]

Those odds are low, and it may be one in 20 or one in 100, but they're not zero. So we know that that is a -- it's a remote possibility.

BLITZER: Susan, what does it say to you that the epicenter, we're now told is in Lebanon, New Jersey, west of New York City right now? It's right in central New Jersey, but west of New York, and we're showing it on a map right now.

HOUGH: Yes. If you look at where earthquakes have struck, the Mineral Virginia, as we call it, earthquake in 2011, it wasn't directly along the coast. It was into Virginia a little bit. So there are stresses along the Atlantic seaboard because you have continental crusts sort of glued to oceanic crust and you've got things going on geologically. But it's not like a localized San Andreas Fault where we know where the earthquakes are going to fall. You have a zone of stress. So it's not surprising to see earthquakes within that broader zone.

BLITZER: Susan Hough, we will stay in close touch with you. Thank you very much for your expertise.

HOUGH: Thank you.

BLITZER: And to our viewers, we're getting some incredible new video just in out of New Jersey showing the earthquake. Watch this. Well, it doesn't seem so incredible, this video, but it's people running out. You can see that inside, people clearly feeling this earthquake. You can see the shaking. This is inside a coffee shop in Boonton in New Jersey. I want to bring in CNN's Pete Muntean. He's here with us in Washington, D.C. And I know there's already been an impact as far as air travel is concerned at the major airports in New York, including down here in Washington, right?

PETE MUNTEAN, CNN AVIATION CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Wolf. You know, the thing is, you can't feel an earthquake in the air, although passengers are definitely feeling the impact of it right now. Ground stops still in place, per the FAA, at Newark and at JFK until half past the hour, 11:30 Eastern daylight time.

The FAA has tweeted out a statement saying that this is a rapidly evolving situation. They say that this 4.8 magnitude earthquake in New Jersey may impact some air traffic facilities, New York, New Jersey, Philadelphia and Baltimore. We do know now that Philadelphia and Baltimore have been removed from the ground stop list, air traffic operations resuming as quickly as possible. So we're continuing to follow this. Jeannie Shiffer of the FAA says that crews there at Newark and at JFK still need to inspect the runways.

Our Greg Wallace listening to air traffic control audio as it's coming in real time. He says crews from the Port Authority of New York have inspected the Runway there at Newark. It seems like some flights are departing right now, but some flights are having to be diverted that were bound to New York. Remember, New York is a city on the move, never sleeps. And the thing here is the impact on the infrastructure in New York.

Those in California may chortle about this, but New York is very much a bridged and underground city. And so New Jersey transit is treating out that all of the lines on the New Jersey transit system are being held by about 20 minutes right now because of inspections that need to take place at bridges.

To put this into context for you, after the 2011 earthquake here in Washington, D.C., there were a lot of things that were damaged. The national cathedral was damaged. The Washington monument was damaged and closed for a fairly long period of time. So this is not over just yet. And inspectors, those at the travel, will need to make sure that things are all clear so that the 1, 1.5 million people who commute to New York every day can continue to do that safely and successfully. We are just seeing the impacts now of this rapidly evolving situation, Wolf.

BLITZER: So we see the impact, Pete, as far as aviation is concerned, into the major airports in this area. But give us an update as far as you know, what about the trains, the Acela, the Amtrak trains, are they being held up as well?

MUNTEAN: We know there is an impact on the northeast corridor from New Jersey transit. Nothing specific just yet from Amtrak. There are a lot of tunnels and there are a lot of bridges that the trail system in the New York area relies on that is so critical. So we're waiting to hear a little bit more from Amtrak about this. We're also waiting to hear from the Port Authority about this.

The latest from the NYPD transit chief is that there is no specific damage reported just yet to infrastructure in New York, although, of course, it will take a little bit of time to assess that as the crews are able to get out there and truly lay eyes on a lot of this stuff. It's usually just a visual inspection that they need to do to make sure that things are ok.

BLITZER: Yes. Pete Muntean, we'll stay in very close touch with you. The ramifications of this earthquake could be very, very serious down the road. We'll watch it all together with you. Thank you very much.

[11:19:53]

We're going to take a quick break. We'll have much more on all the breaking earthquake coverage in New York and the area here in the northeast right after this.

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BLITZER: We're continuing to follow the breaking news out of New York right now. A 4.8 magnitude earthquake rattling the area over the last hour or so. Additional reports indicate the quake was felt across the northeast from New Hampshire right down to where I am here in Washington, D.C. The NYPD says no injuries have been reported, at least not yet. And there are no reports of structural damage to the transit system.

[11:25:09]

In moments, the New York Governor Kathy Hochul will give an update. We're standing by for that. We will bring it to you live as soon as she begins. In the meantime, I want to go back to CNN's Jason Carroll right now. Jason, I know you felt it where you are in New York, but give us a sense of what it was like.

JASON CARROLL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, I have to tell you, I was standing at my computer here at Hudson Yards, and for your viewers, just a set where Hudson Yards is located. It's on the western edge of Manhattan. It is a huge complex. The NEWSROOM is located on the 18th floor. And when the ground started shaking, I felt it. My colleagues felt it as well. But as you can imagine, when you live in a place like New York City, you begin to second guess yourself. I was thinking, you know, is this something that is happening?

You know, again, I said this a little earlier, but I hadn't eaten this morning. I thought perhaps am I lightheaded? But then I saw my monitor move just ever so slightly. I come out of my office there. Then all the producers are pouring out, my fellow correspondents.

It was Jean Casarez who said, you know, I think we just had an earthquake. And I said, oh, that's what it was. I'm originally from California and so I'm accustomed to feeling the ground move beneath my feet, but not in a place like New York City. And I think a lot of New Yorkers, a lot of people in New Jersey, a lot of people in Connecticut who felt the same thing, were wondering the same thing, Wolf.

But at least for now, we are getting reports that not hearing any reports of significant damage. We are expecting a briefing from New York City mayor, the governor also, as you said, she is expected to have a briefing in a short while as well. The governor already put out a statement that said my team is assessing impacts and any damage that may have occurred. And we will update the public throughout the day.

We know that the tunnels are being checked on, Holland Tunnel being checked on at this point as well. But again, this is something that folks were feeling all the way out east an hour and a half plus away in places like Long Island. They were feeling it all the way out in New Jersey. They were feeling it in Connecticut as well, magnitude 4.8.

Some of the reports that were getting from folks, Wolf, included dishes rattling, some things moving off of shelves, things of that nature. But again, when you're in a place like New York City, this is not something one would expect. You expect a lot of other things when you live in New York City but not the ground to move beneath your feet. Wolf?

BLITZER: All right, Jason, be careful over there. We will stay in very close touch with you. Jason Carroll reporting from New York.

Our meteorologist at the CNN Weather Center, Elisa Raffa, is joining us once again. We see the epicenter is in northern New Jersey, west of New York City in Lebanon, New Jersey. And, but it's been felt all across, all the way down here in Washington, all the way up to New Hampshire. It's a pretty significant earthquake, Elisa.

RAFFA: Yes, because it's so rare for this area and these shakes and this part of the country can really just, you know, people can feel it wide ranging. I've been looking through my phone, so many e-mails and texts. I have a lot of family in this area getting reports of feeling it all the way up from Connecticut, all the way down to, you know, Baltimore and D.C. Have family in Delaware that didn't quite feel it. But we know a lot of our colleagues in Philly and D.C. felt it.

Also another family friend saying that Newark Airport was shaking. We know that had affected, you know, air travel as well. And we're not really finding the extent of damage, but more so just the rarity of this, of the shaking, 4.8 magnitude, you know, is just not as common here in this part of the country. It was centered in New Jersey and millions of people live here. We're talking about the biggest population center in the country.

And, you know, and we know people felt it in the streets while they were driving. Things were kind of getting tossed around and moving, you know, because that shaking was so significant. And it's also because it was kind of shallow. When that earthquake is more shallow, that's when you can feel it more. The deeper it goes, the harder it is to feel. So that shake map really shows, you know, and we know it was felt even farther than this, right?

You have to kind of report it to the USGS for it to show up on this map. But we know at least, you know, by some of the data stretching down towards Baltimore and Philly. For some of the people that have felt the shaking, 23 million people felt at least light to shaking, light shaking, 23 million people, about 9,000 at that epicenter really felt that very strong significant shaking.

But the light shakes, light and moderate shakes are stretching for miles for millions of people. Now, we haven't had too much word yet as far as aftershocks, but when you get an earth that's 4.8 magnitude, you can, on average, get at least one earthquake. That's 3.8 magnitude. You can get at least 10. That's 2.8 in magnitude. And you can get 100, that's at least 1.8 in magnitude.

[11:30:09]