Could a Major Earthquake Ever Strike New York State?

Has anyone felt the Earth move from under them? Residents in lower New York state have recently reported minor shaking, as several small tremors were recorded in neighboring New Jersey, according to seismologists from the USGS.

None of the recent quakes, though, were quite as strong as April 2024's 4.8-magnitude tremor, that shook millions across the Northeast. The spring earthquake displayed such "peculiar behavior" that experts from the Columbia Climate School say it lead to the discovery a "previously unmapped" fault line.

The recent earthquakes were more than likely just some of the thousands of aftershocks from 2024's moderate tremor in New Jersey, along the Ramapo Fault.

Could a Major Earthquake Ever Strike New York State?

Some studies proposed that there may additional fault zones extending from the Ramapo Fault into southwestern Connecticut. There are also many smaller faults that criss-cross across New York City, meaning there could be a chance for significant earthquake one day. 

There is also the Western Quebec Seismic Zone, which can produce larger quakes that can be felt up and down the eastern coast of the United States, particularly for their neighbors directly south in the Empire State. This is where the strongest quakes happen near us.

See Also: USGS Reports Uptick in Recent New York State Earthquake Activity

New York State's All-Time Most Powerful Earthquake? 

According to the NESEC, the largest earthquake centered in New York state happened on September 5, 1944. The magnitude 5.9 quake, with an epicenter beneath the New York-Canada border, did major damage in the towns of Massena, NY, and Cornwall, Ontario.

Heavy damage was recorded in the town of Massena (St. Lawrence County), with a number of chimneys, windows, housing foundations, and a high school gymnasium reported destroyed.

New York City has suffered two damaging quakes of note. The first was December 18, 1737, when a 5.2 struck in the Greater New York City area. However, since it was so long ago, little is known about the epicenter or the extent of the damage.

Another 5.2 quake struck on August 10, 1884, in Brooklyn, which cracked houses, tossed objects off shelves and shook towns in New York and New Jersey.