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WASHINGTON — A 4.8 magnitude earthquake hit eastern parts of the United States on Friday morning with the epicentre in Lebanon, New Jersey, 50 miles (80 km) from New York.
There were no reports of casualties or damage to property.
Tremors were felt right up to the nation’s capital Washington DC and the states of Maryland and Virginia.
"The President has been briefed on the earthquake, which had an epicentre in New Jersey, and he is in touch with his team who are monitoring potential impacts," the White House said in a statement.
"The White House is in touch with federal, state, and local officials as we learn more."
President Joe Biden also spoke to New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy about the quake. The White House said that the President said his administration is in touch with state and local officials and will provide assistance if needed.
Chris Christie, the former New Jersey Governor, told CNN that it felt like a "small explosion".
He was working in his home office at the time and felt his house shake and it lasted several minutes.
Many office buildings were evacuated in New York City as a precautionary measure. Air travel is likely to be impacted as ground operations were halted at airports.
Earthquakes are common on the East Coast, but they are of relatively lower intensity and frequency than the West Coast.
The US Geological Survey has said: "The eastern US is not immune to damaging earthquakes. This hazard has been known since colonial days when damaging earthquakes occurred off Cape Ann, Massachusetts, in 1755 and near Petersburg, Virginia, in 1774.
The largest earthquake in the eastern U.S. was the magnitude 7 earthquake in 1886 near Charleston, South Carolina, and significant earthquakes have occurred in more recent years, such as in Delaware in 2017 and North Carolina and Puerto Rico in 2020, confirming that earthquakes can strike unexpectedly in many areas of the eastern US and its territories."