the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Hillsdale NJ, for the second time in less than a week, northern New Jersey residents felt the ground rumble — and social media once again lit up with the question: “Was that another earthquake?”
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) confirmed a magnitude 2.7 earthquake struck at 12:11 p.m. on Tuesday, with its epicenter located just southwest of Hillsdale in Bergen County. The quake originated approximately 3–6 miles underground, shallow enough to be felt across nearby towns and even parts of New York City.
This follows Saturday night’s magnitude 3.0 tremor centered in Hasbrouck Heights, just 8 miles away, which briefly rattled the metro area and sparked jokes online (even the Empire State Building chimed in on X saying: “I AM FINE.”)
⚠️ Aftershock or Coincidence?
Although Tuesday’s quake struck close in time and distance to Saturday’s, experts at Columbia University say it is not officially classified as an aftershock. Still, they note that increased stress on regional fault lines — potentially intensified by recent heavy rainfall — may be triggering this unusual spate of seismic activity.
“It’s important for us to increase earthquake education and monitoring in the Northeast,” said Dr. Folarin Kolawole, assistant professor of geology at Columbia. “These small quakes remind us the region is capable of producing larger ones.”
📉 How Powerful Was It?
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Magnitude: 2.7 (considered minor)
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Epicenter: Near Hillsdale, Bergen County
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Depth: Approximately 5 miles
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Typical effects: A brief jolt or shaking — usually not strong enough to cause damage
For comparison, last year’s magnitude 4.8 quake in Tewksbury, NJ was strong enough to rattle buildings across multiple states.
🗣️ Residents React
Reports of brief swaying and shakes came in from Bergen County as well as Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Westchester. With two tremors in three days, locals are on high alert — and many aren’t shy about posting their reactions online.
💬 Did you feel today’s quake? Let us know in the comments and make sure to follow us for updates on local seismic activity.
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