A 4.8 magnitude earthquake struck near New York City on Friday morning, the US Geological Survey said, shaking buildings and surprising residents in an area that rarely experiences notable seismic activity.

The quake’s epicentre was near Whitehouse Station, New Jersey, and occurred just after 10:20am ET (1420 GMT) at a depth of 4.7 kilometres, the USGS said.

People reported feeling tremors from Pennsylvania to Massachusetts. A New York City Police Department spokesperson said it had not received any reports of damages.

Charita Walcott, a 38-year-old resident in the Bronx borough of New York, said the quake felt “like a violent rumble that lasted about 30 seconds or so.”

“It was kind of like being in a drum circle, that vibration,” she said.

At the United Nations in midtown Manhattan, the Save the Children CEO abruptly stopped addressing the Security Council on the Israel-Gaza conflict as cameras began shuddering.

“You’re making the ground shake,” Palestinian UN envoy Riyad Mansour quipped.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) told airlines they can expect flights to be held for New York City airports until noon because of the earthquake and delays of 30-45 minutes.

Some flights bound for New York diverted to other airports, according to the tracking website FlightAware.

“Air traffic operations are resuming as quickly as possible,” the FAA said.

The iconic Empire State Building reported on its X account: “I am fine. “

The busy Holland Tunnel, one of three major Hudson River crossings between New York City and New Jersey, will be temporarily closed for inspection, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey said.

The governors of New York and New Jersey posted on social media platform X that they were mounting emergency responses.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams has been briefed, and there were no immediate reports of “major impacts”, his office said on X.

Friday’s tremor reminded some residents of the 2011 5.8-magnitude earthquake in Virginia that prompted evacuations in New York City, including City Hall, and caused damage in Washington.