The earthquake alert reached New York residents almost 30 minutes after the tremor. Local authorities defend what they describe as a prompt reaction to the unexpected shock.
“I thought there was no way there could be an earthquake here,” she says, affected. The earthquake was shallow — 2.9 miles — and according to the Geological Survey, some 42 million people could have felt it, not only in New York but in other places on the East Coast. The epicenter was located near Whitehouse Station, New Jersey.