Rare magnitude-4.7 earthquake hits US state of New Jersey

An earthquake has hit New Jersey, rattling buildings in nearby New York City and surrounding areas.

The United States Geological Survey said that the magnitude-4.7 quake's epicentre was 7km north-east of Whitehouse Station, New Jersey.

The quake hit at around 10:20am local time. There are no reports of major damage at this time.

Earthquakes are relatively rare on the East Coast of the United States.

BBC News
Archive (April 05 2024)
 
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I can't help but find it hilarious how depending on the country in which an earthquake happened, something below 5.0~5.5 of magnitude is actually worth being talked about, whilst many others pretty much ignore anything below 7.0.
Dysnomia said:
Our building also aren't built with earthquakes in mind because we don't have many of them.
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You guys should really push for laws that make sure all buildings, specially those you're living in, are built earthquake-proof. Or at least that you live in one that was made with them in mind: Them being rare will mean jackshit when nature decides it wants to bring you to your knees.

Just as one should be through when reading a contract you're going to sign, less you allow someone to metaphorically fuck you in the ass, you should be through about the safety of the place you and your family live in.
 
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Klamimera said:
You guys should really push for laws that make sure all buildings, specially those you're living in, are built earthquake-proof. Or at least that you live in one that was made with them in mind: Them being rare will mean jackshit when nature decides it wants to bring you to your knees.
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Humans are really not good at planning for shit that happens on a 300+ year timeline.

In Oregon and Washington, there are massive quakes about once every 300 years. Indians up there had legends about villages being washed away by tsunamis. But when they did archaeology up there, they found that the Indians had built in the same spots over and over again for thousands of years.

Year 800: Village gets wiped off the map.

Year 925: "This looks like a fantastic building site!"

Year 926-1099: Peace, prosperity, and great fishing.

Year 1100: Village gets wiped off the map.

Year 1225: "This looks like a fantastic building site!"

And it's not just non-literate societies.

Year 800: 村が破壊される。

Year 925: ここは建築するには良い場所のようです！

And the beat goes on.
 
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KiwiFuzz2 said:
Humans are really not good at planning for shit that happens on a 300+ year timeline.

In Oregon and Washington, there are massive quakes about once every 300 years. Indians up there had legends about villages being washed away by tsunamis. But when they did archaeology up there, they found that the Indians had built in the same spots over and over again for thousands of years.

Year 800: Village gets wiped off the map.

Year 925: "This looks like a fantastic building site!"

Year 926-1099: Peace, prosperity, and great fishing.

Year 1100: Village gets wiped off the map.

Year 1225: "This looks like a fantastic building site!"

And it's not just non-literate societies.

Year 800: 村が破壊される。

Year 925: ここは建築するには良い場所のようです！

And the beat goes on.
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There simply isn’t a point planning for something that happens that sporadically. You’ll waste more money trying to earthquake-proof everything than just rebuilding from scratch every 300 years or so. Besides, if the land is otherwise good, you’ll probably generate way more value out of that land over the course of 300 years than it would take to rebuild the next time disaster strikes.
 
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I didn't feel shit, but everyone was making a big deal out of it. Phone alerts going off (thank christ I'm smart enough to turn those off), and schools emailing everyone about it for... whatever reason they thought made sense. Funnily enough it's been the ONLY thing that got them distracted from the upcoming solar eclipse that's ALSO got everyone in a panic.
 
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Klamimera said:
You guys should really push for laws that make sure all buildings, specially those you're living in, are built earthquake-proof.
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Or have earthquakes covered under your house insurance, at least. Apparently my parents decided on a whim to put that down on the insurance many years ago despite us not living near terribly-active fault lines and about a decade ago it came in handy as we were able to prove our roof shingles got shifted (and one fell off) as a result of an aftershock that came from Mexico. Life's wack.
 
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Gar For Archer said:
There simply isn’t a point planning for something that happens that sporadically. You’ll waste more money trying to earthquake-proof everything than just rebuilding from scratch every 300 years or so.
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Sure, with our technology (and the one that'll exist in 300 years) you could easily build everything over, in even better conditions than what you had last time. But you can't just create more people out of thin air. At best you could have people move over, if (Current Government) doesn't push for immigrants.
Kari Kamiya said:
Or have earthquakes covered under your house insurance, at least. Apparently my parents decided on a whim to put that down on the insurance many years ago despite us not living near terribly-active fault lines and about a decade ago it came in handy as we were able to prove our roof shingles got shifted (and one fell off) as a result of an aftershock that came from Mexico. Life's wack.
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Or that, yeah lol. I guess if you're insured and lucky that no one gets too hurt from the earthquakes, it is the better option.
I'm surprised your folks (or you?) were even able to prove such a thing.
 
Only a 4.7? Every decade or so the NE sees a 5.x or two. This is nothing. Shouldn't even cause any damage. (5s only cause random mild damage to old brick buildings never design with EQs even as an afterthought) A 5.0 is ten times the strength of a 4.0.
 
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