Is the East Coast on the verge of a major earthquake?

Join Fox News to access this content

You have reached the maximum number of articles. Log in or create a free account to continue reading.

Please enter a valid email address.

By entering your email and clicking “Continue,” you agree to Fox News' Terms of Use and Privacy Policy, which includes our Financial Incentive Notice. To access the content, check your email and follow the instructions provided. In trouble? click here.

The earthquake that struck the East Coast earlier this month was felt by an estimated 42 million people and fortunately caused minor damage, but what are the chances of a larger, stronger earthquake hitting the region? If that happens, what might it look like – and are we prepared?

The April 5 phenomenon was a 4.8 magnitude earthquake centered near Whitehouse Station in New Jersey, about 40 miles west of New York City.

The shaking was felt from Washington, D.C., to Maine, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS), and it followed a much smaller 1.7-magnitude earthquake in New York City on January 2.

Earthquakes are rare along the East Coast, and the strongest earthquake in the past 100 years occurred in August 2011 with a magnitude of 5.8 on the Richter scale. It was centered in Virginia and felt from Washington, D.C., to Boston.

4.8 A strong earthquake hits the state of New Jersey, shaking buildings in the surrounding states

A man walks in lower Manhattan moments after New York City and parts of New Jersey were struck by a 4.8 magnitude earthquake on April 5, 2024.

Before that, an earthquake that struck South Carolina in 1886 was understood to have measured between 6.6 and 7.3 on the Richter scale. There is no definitive measurement for this earthquake because the Richter scale has only been around since the mid-1930s, but a tectonic shift resulted in 60 deaths.

When earthquakes start breaking 5.0 on the Richter scale, damage starts to occur, Professor John Ebel, a seismologist in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at Boston College, tells Fox News Digital.

For example, the devastating earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria last year measured 7.8 and killed nearly 62,000 people, with tens of thousands of buildings destroyed or severely damaged.

Meanwhile, the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake in California had a magnitude of 6.9, killing 69 people, and the 1994 Northridge earthquake in the Golden State had a magnitude of 6.7, killing 57 people. Thousands more were injured.

“As the magnitude exceeds five, the vibration becomes stronger and the area where strong vibrations are experienced becomes wider,” Epple says. “So, if you get a magnitude of six, the shaking is 10 times stronger than a magnitude of five. So, if this month's earthquake had a magnitude of 5.8, not 4.8, we would be looking at damage to unreinforced structures in the greater New York City area.”

The facade of an apartment building in San Francisco's Marina District was torn off after the October 1989 earthquake. (Photo by Jonathan Norwalk/AFP via Getty Images)

“Now I should qualify that and say that in the last few decades, New York City has had an earthquake provision in its building code, while New Jersey, New York and Connecticut have all adopted some version of earthquake provisions in their building codes.” Ebel explained. “So modern buildings being built today will perform very well, even in the case of strong tremors…if they are 6 or even 7 magnitude.”

As for the tri-state area, Epple says the area has been hit by smaller earthquakes, but has been spared anything that did significant damage.

The 1884 earthquake in Brooklyn caused limited damage and casualties. Seismologists estimated that it would have measured in the 5.0 and 5.2 magnitude region, while the 1775 Massachusetts earthquake struck in the 6.0 and 6.3 magnitude region.

What to do during an earthquake and how to prepare for it

“In 1884, there were reports of some items falling from shelves, and some cracks in the walls, especially plaster walls, which crack very easily if the building is shaken,” Epple said. “There were some cracks in some of the brick walls, and people panicked because of the very strong shaking.”

Ebel, who wrote a book called “New England Earthquakes: The Surprising History of Seismic Activity in the Northeast,” says a magnitude 5 earthquake strikes the tri-state area once every 120 years.

Map showing the location of Whitehouse Station, New Jersey, which the USGS reported was the epicenter of a 4.8 magnitude earthquake on April 5. (Fox News)

He added: “The question is: Can we get something bigger? And in my opinion, yes we can.” “We can't predict earthquakes, and we don't know when the next one will happen, but we have a low, not insignificant, probability that a devastating earthquake will occur at some point.”

The April 5 quake has left seismologists scratching their heads because it did not occur in the Ramapo Fault Zone, highlighting how difficult it is to predict such a phenomenon, Ebel said. The Ramapo Fault Zone is a series of small fault lines that run through New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. It extends over 185 miles and was formed about 200 million years ago.

“Right now, it's a seismic puzzle,” Ebel said. “We have some earthquakes in our area where faults have not been mapped. But this is true even in California. Not every earthquake occurs on a known or mapped fault in California, so there is still a lot of seismologists to learn more about the exact relationship between Ancient faults and modern earthquakes.”

Ebel pointed out that buildings are not the only thing to consider when earthquakes occur. In California earthquakes, bridges collapse while the electrical grid can also go out, causing electrical surges and fires.

Local residents walk past a destroyed building in Nordacı, southeastern Turkey, on Thursday, February 9. (AP/Petros Giannakouris)

Toxic chemicals were removed from the shelves of the Chemistry Building in 1989 and the building had to be evacuated, Ebel said.

He explained: “And you think about hospitals and some industrial facilities that suffer from this situation.” “So you have these things that aren't necessarily catastrophic, but are going to be a real problem.”

An earthquake does not necessarily cause the ground to shake to cause destruction.

A tremor at sea can trigger a dangerous tsunami, such as the one that occurred on the edge of the Grand Banks of Newfoundland, Canada, in 1929. It was felt as far away as New York City.

Waves up to 23 feet high crashed onto the beach, according to the International Tsunami Information Center, killing up to 28 people.

“A tsunami is not necessarily a very high-probability event, but it's one we should think about as well,” Epple says regarding the East Coast.

The Fukushima nuclear accident in 2011 was caused by an earthquake and subsequent tsunami.

Damage from the 2011 tsunami can be seen from a hill overlooking Kesennuma City. (Philippe Lopez/AFP via Getty Images)

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Ebel says a tsunami similar to the one in 1929 could cause a storm similar to Hurricane Sandy in 2012, where 43 people died in New York City.

“The risk of an earthquake is not as great as it is in California, but it is something we have to take into account and have contingency plans and building codes for,” Epple says. “Our state and local emergency management agencies in all the Northeastern states are doing earthquake planning — what we call tabletop exercises — where they pretend there's an earthquake.”

“So these types of preparations are made on a regular basis,” he concludes. “Building codes are constantly being re-evaluated and approved, not just in terms of earthquakes, but also in terms of fires and chemical leaks and all kinds of things. So we're getting more prepared all the time.”

Marina Beach in southern India after tsunami waves hit the coast in 2004.

What Are The Main Benefits Of Comparing Car Insurance Quotes Online

LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / June 24, 2020, / Compare-autoinsurance.Org has launched a new blog post that presents the main benefits of comparing multiple car insurance quotes. For more info and free online quotes, please visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/the-advantages-of-comparing-prices-with-car-insurance-quotes-online/ The modern society has numerous technological advantages. One important advantage is the speed at which information is sent and received. With the help of the internet, the shopping habits of many persons have drastically changed. The car insurance industry hasn't remained untouched by these changes. On the internet, drivers can compare insurance prices and find out which sellers have the best offers. View photos The advantages of comparing online car insurance quotes are the following: Online quotes can be obtained from anywhere and at any time. Unlike physical insurance agencies, websites don't have a specific schedule and they are available at any time. Drivers that have busy working schedules, can compare quotes from anywhere and at any time, even at midnight. Multiple choices. Almost all insurance providers, no matter if they are well-known brands or just local insurers, have an online presence. Online quotes will allow policyholders the chance to discover multiple insurance companies and check their prices. Drivers are no longer required to get quotes from just a few known insurance companies. Also, local and regional insurers can provide lower insurance rates for the same services. Accurate insurance estimates. Online quotes can only be accurate if the customers provide accurate and real info about their car models and driving history. Lying about past driving incidents can make the price estimates to be lower, but when dealing with an insurance company lying to them is useless. Usually, insurance companies will do research about a potential customer before granting him coverage. Online quotes can be sorted easily. Although drivers are recommended to not choose a policy just based on its price, drivers can easily sort quotes by insurance price. Using brokerage websites will allow drivers to get quotes from multiple insurers, thus making the comparison faster and easier. For additional info, money-saving tips, and free car insurance quotes, visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ Compare-autoinsurance.Org is an online provider of life, home, health, and auto insurance quotes. This website is unique because it does not simply stick to one kind of insurance provider, but brings the clients the best deals from many different online insurance carriers. In this way, clients have access to offers from multiple carriers all in one place: this website. On this site, customers have access to quotes for insurance plans from various agencies, such as local or nationwide agencies, brand names insurance companies, etc. "Online quotes can easily help drivers obtain better car insurance deals. All they have to do is to complete an online form with accurate and real info, then compare prices", said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company. CONTACT: Company Name: Internet Marketing CompanyPerson for contact Name: Gurgu CPhone Number: (818) 359-3898Email: [email protected]: https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ SOURCE: Compare-autoinsurance.Org View source version on accesswire.Com:https://www.Accesswire.Com/595055/What-Are-The-Main-Benefits-Of-Comparing-Car-Insurance-Quotes-Online View photos