The shaking of the building, on a ninth floor, is more than palpable. something happens Due to the proximity to the subway, the first thought that comes to mind is that a train is traveling at a faster speed than usual.
But there is no noise and the sensation is much more pronounced than the movement of a train.
The movement of the property is perceived for about 20 seconds, more or less, but the period seems much longer.
It's 10 am and 11 pm. It's clear, it's an earthquake. There is no doubt about it.
A certain sense of panic grows. Immediately the instinct pushes you to look out the window, to see if the surroundings are the same as they were just a few minutes ago. Everything remains the same.
It is not observed that there have been landslides or collapses, nor do you see people being scared. Passersby keep walking. There are not a few, however, who stop to exchange opinions on what has just happened. It's not just any Friday morning.
Followed by the message from her friend Ana in the WhatsApp group: “Did you hear the earthquake? I'm in a bad mood."
Antonio replies: "I got a little dizzy. I had never heard of one and it took me a while to realize it", he confesses.
Is it like that. In New York and an area of the East Coast, including the cities of Philadelphia, Washington and Boston, an earthquake was recorded that, after being described as "minor", the data indicated that it was not so minor.
The earthquake reached a magnitude of 4.8, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) reported, after it had been reported as 5.5.
The last earthquake of a certain magnitude recorded in this metropolis dates back to 2011. It reached the level of 2.3, imperceptible because experts clarify that the accumulation of energy between one and the other is very different This time all the alarms went off. There was panic.
The epicenter, according to the USGS, was located in Lebanon, a town in New Jersey about 78 kilometers from Manhattan, across the Hudson River.
"I was scared," says Michael, a resident of Manhattan's Upper West Side. He says he has spoken to relatives in New Jersey, who have also noticed him quite strongly.
In general, walking down Broadway people say it was a shock to experience this feeling. Both the governor of the state, Kathy Hochul, and the mayor of New York, Eric Adams, reported that there was no record of injuries.
In principle, it was also not known that there had been affected buildings, but it was not ruled out. Hochul and Adams agreed that property inspections would be arranged for potential structural damage for prevention.
In some places in the city it was said that there were scaffoldings that had suffered some kind of damage.
"This is not Taiwan," says another neighbor, who downplays the importance of this earthquake. But airports at JFK in New York and Newark in New Jersey halted ground operations and delayed flights. Other airports in the affected territory also contained air traffic. In New York, the Holland Tunnel, which crosses the Hudson and communicates with New Jersey, was also closed to road traffic. After a while, traffic was reopened.
The metro service, as you can hear from this ninth floor, continues to run. Metropolitan transport authorities reiterate that there is no interruption alarm. Schools keep classes and reassure parents.
At the time of the earthquake, the UN Security Council was holding a session on Gaza. Janti Seripto, president of the Save the Children office, spoke. At that moment, in the middle of a denunciation speech about the tragedy in the strip, and the large number of children who are victims, he suddenly shuts up and makes a face of surprise. something happens "You are making the ground tremble," says the Palestinian ambassador.
