A 2.3-magnitude earthquake struck in Sleepy Hollow, N.Y. at around 10:17 a.m. Tuesday, making it a rare moment of seismic activity for the NYC area. Sleepy Hollow is located roughly 25 miles north of New York City.
Many reported hearing a very loud bang, and felt a shake as if a big truck drove past. Within an hour of the earthquake, the USGS website shows it had received more than 900 reports from people who felt the tremor. Residents described the shaking as sudden and disorienting, with some saying it felt more like an explosion than a typical earthquake. The whole thing only lasted maybe seven seconds at most.
Earthquakes of this size are typically minor and rarely cause damage, but some people in nearby areas like the Bronx may have felt brief shaking. No impacts are expected in NYC. Westchester County officials say there were no reports of damage. It struck about 4.5 miles below ground., which is relatively shallow and can amplify how widely people feel the tremor.
An active fault line known as the Ramapo Fault runs from Pennsylvania, through New Jersey, and into New York, and produces a number of typically small earthquakes each year. There have only been 20 earthquakes of at least a 2.3 magnitude in this vicinity since 1950, making this a rare occurrence. This makes Tuesday's quake particularly memorable for locals. Back in 2024, a 4.8 magnitude earthquake struck Tewksbury, N.J, sending shockwaves up and down the East Coast. That quake released about 5,000 times more energy than Tuesday's. Even with Tuesday's minor magnitude, earthquakes in the northeastern United States can be felt over wider areas due to older, denser crustal rocks.