The unexpected 4.8 magnitude earthquake that struck on Friday morning surprised two former residents of Central New York. Lauren Zinszer, who now lives on Long Island, was at work when the earthquake occurred. “All of a sudden, the room just started shaking, and we all looked around at each other. As the room trembled, we were puzzled, not knowing what was happening. I was honestly terrified because of the uncertainty,” she said.

The earthquake, which originated in New Jersey, was felt throughout the Northeastern United States. Dan Frohm, a resident of Brooklyn, was sleeping when the quake woke him up. “It felt like my house was made of matchsticks. Suddenly, the structure seemed so fragile, and as it shook, I thought, ‘This is different; it must be an earthquake.'”

Despite the epicenter being in New Jersey, individuals across the East Coast reported feeling the tremors, including students from Syracuse University and SUNY ESF. Isabel Meara, an SU student from New Jersey, described her experience, noting how even her pets were alarmed by the shaking in their home. Erin Lutz, a SUNY ESF student from the West Coast, expressed surprise at feeling an earthquake in Central New York, an uncommon occurrence in the region.

Others, like Syracuse University student Ben Deitrick, did not feel any tremors at all. He found it intriguing how some people experienced the earthquake while others remained unaffected.