The shaking of the building, on the ninth floor, becomes more than palpable. Given the proximity to the subway, the first idea that comes to mind is that a convoy is traveling faster than usual. But there is no noise and this is much more pronounced than a train running. The shaking of the building is perceived for about 20 seconds, but the period seems much longer.
It's 10:23 in the morning. It is clear, this is an earthquake. A certain feeling of panic arises. Immediately the instinct leads us to look out the window, to see if the environment is like it was just a few minutes ago. Everything remains the same. It is not observed that there have been landslides or collapses, nor are people seen scared. He continues walking, but there are many who stop to exchange opinions about what happened.
Immediately the message from friend Ana in the WhatsApp group: “Have you felt the earthquake? "I'm in a bad mood." Antonio responds: “I got a little dizzy. “I’ve never felt one and it’s taken me a while to realize.”
That's how it is. In New York and an area of the East Coast, even as far as Boston, an earthquake was recorded that, after being classified as “minor”, the data indicated that it was not so minor. The earthquake has reached a magnitude of 5.5, according to some media, or 4.8 in the official version. The last earthquake that was recorded in this city was in 2011, measuring 2.3, practically imperceptible because experts clarify that the accumulation of energy between one earthquake and another is very different.
The United States Geological Survey reports that the epicenter is located in Lebanon, New Jersey, about 78 kilometers from Manhattan, across the Hudson River.
The public alert service sends a message advising citizens to stay indoors and call 911 if someone has been injured.
“I've been scared,” says Michael, a resident of Manhattan's Upper West Side. He claims that he has spoken to relatives in New Jersey who have also experienced it.
In general, walking down Broadway Avenue it is common to hear that it had been a shock to experience this sensation. In principle there were no injuries although it was considered that there could be damage to buildings. Some information spoke of partially fallen scaffolding. Governor Kathy Hochul announces at a press conference that structural reviews of buildings will be carried out for prevention.
“This is not Taiwan,” says another passerby, downplaying it. But JFK airports in New York and Newark airports in New Jersey stopped ground operations and flights were delayed. Other airports in the affected territory also stopped traffic. The Holland Tunnel, which crosses the Hudson and connects with New Jersey, was also closed to road traffic. After a while it reopened.
The subway service, as can be heard from this ninth floor, continues to operate. The metropolitan transportation authorities reiterate that there is no alarm of system interruption. Schools also continue with classes and reassure parents that everything is in order
At the time of the earthquake, the Security Council was holding a session dedicated to Gaza. Janti Seripto, president and chief executive officer of the Save the Children office, was speaking. Then, in the middle of a speech denouncing the tragedy on the strip, with the many children who are victims, she suddenly fell silent and looked surprised. Something was happening.
“You are making the ground shake,” the Palestinian ambassador told him.
In a neighborhood store, a watch shop, one of the employees explains that the windows have shaken. “I didn't know what it was, but the boss said it was an earthquake. After a moment I started receiving calls asking me if I was okay,” he insists.
This is really not Taiwan, nor Haiti. Life goes on in New York, although now with a common topic of conversation. The authorities do not rule out aftershocks, but there is no reason for panic.
