Small earthquake rumbles in Queens
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A 1.7 magnitude earthquake shook areas of Queens on Tuesday morning resulting in explosion reports across the water on Roosevelt Island. No injuries were reported. Eagle photo by Ryan Schwach
By Ryan Schwach
Did you feel it?
A small earthquake rumbled parts of Western Queens early on Tuesday morning, shaking in the new year and causing explosions at Roosevelt Island just across the water from the World’s Borough.
The 1.7 magnitude earthquake, which on the Richter Scale is considered a “microearthquake” and usually not felt by people but recorded on seismographs, occurred just before 6 a.m. around parts of Astoria, officials say.
“The [United States Geological Survey] reports that a 1.7 magnitude earthquake has occurred near Astoria, Queens,” Notify NYC said on Twitter. “The earthquake has reportedly been felt in the New York City area, but there are no reports of injuries or damage in New York City at this time.”
USGS, which is the U.S agency responsible for measuring and detecting earthquakes, reported the earthquake at 5:45 a.m., with the precise latitude and longitude reported as a location on 24th Avenue between Astoria Park and 21st Avenue.
Although no immediate damage was reported in Queens, it is possible that the tremor was the cause of explosion reports in neighboring Roosevelt Island.
According to the FDNY, the call for the explosions came over at around 5:54 a.m., about 10 minutes after USGS reported the quake.
The call was listed as a “report of a building shaking and explosion” at 580 Main Street on the Island, south of Roosevelt Island Bridge and Tram.
FDNY units responded but soon handed the scene over to Con Edison.
No injuries were reported.
The New York Office of Emergency Management said it “can’t make a causal determination to [the explosions] relation to the earthquake other than reports [that] happened around the same time.”
Despite the earthquake’s low magnitude, Queens residents did report that they felt something.
An Astoria Facebook group had numerous comments later Tuesday morning where people reported they felt shaking or heard loud rumbling.
“Felt my house shake. Jumped out of bed,” said one Facebook commenter.
Others had a little more fun with the news, a rare occurrence in this part of the country.
State Senator Michael Gianaris said he didn’t have “Astoria earthquake” on his “2024 bingo card.”
Queens Borough President Donovan Richards invoked the words of Queens native Nas, who grew up a short walk from where the earthquake was recorded.
“That money gettin' borough 'bout that action, that's right. Thunderous. Mad thunderous,” Richards tweeted. “He wasn't lying. Queens makes moves so big, we shake the ground below us.”
Earthquakes, which occur all over the world several times a day, are rare in the Northeast, although not unheard of.
According to Columbia University, twice has an earthquake reached over 5 on the Richter scale, once in 1737 and once in 1884, both of which were felt by the greater New York City area and other areas of the Northeast.
The 1.7 magnitude earthquake was reported by the United States Geological Survey at around 5:45 a.m. on Tuesday, specifically locating its epicenter as the location of the red pin, right next to Astoria Park. Screenshot via Google Maps
In more recent years, Queens residents felt earthquakes with a magnitude over two twice in 2001, once in January and once in October, both of which were felt in the Astoria and Long Island City neighborhoods.
