I Missed That!

The Balmer Sun, Earthquake hits New Jersey, causing tremors in Maryland

A 4.8-magnitude earthquake struck New Jersey Friday morning, rattling parts of Maryland and other surrounding states.

The quake hit at 10:23 a.m. near Whitehouse Station, New Jersey, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Online reports from the public indicated the quake could be felt in nearby New York City, and up and down the East Coast. Citizens reported feeling the quake in Baltimore and Annapolis, as well as the Eastern Shore and Washington, D.C.

Source: U.S.G.S.

On the Richter scale, quakes between 2.5 and 5.4 are often felt, but typically only cause minor damage.

Baltimore City Fire Department spokesman Kevin Cartwright said Friday morning he had not received any reports of damage. Nor did emergency management officials in Harford County further north, said county spokesman Matt Button.

The quake struck little more than a week after the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, with President Joe Biden scheduled to arrive later Friday to survey the wreckage and meet with the families of the six victims. A spokesperson at the information center for the bridge said they were unaware of any impact from the quake on the recovery effort.

If it was felt in Baltimore and Annapolis, it's likely to have been perceptible here as well. But I didn't feel anything, and neither did Georgia.