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No. 6 Vol. 5
MAY 2024
Passaic Valley Towns React to Recent Earthquake as New Jersey Remains On High Alert By Tina Pappas assaic Valley, N.J. - A 4.8 earthquake that rattled New Jersey on April 5, and included much of the tri-state area, was also felt in parts of Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., and right up through Maine. No major damages were reported, but a water main break that sent water pouring out onto the middle of a street in Randolph is being blamed on the earthquake by authorities. In Newark, residents of three multifamily homes needed to be evacuated after areas on the buildings appeared compromised. The families have since moved back in. News reports also show a jeep in Huntington, N.Y. that fell into a sinkhole shortly after the earthquake, with no injuries reported. Dozens of aftershocks continued throughout the rest of the weekend ranging from 1.5 to 4.0 in magnitude. Most residents felt their homes shake, with numerous items falling off their shelves. Some reported cracks on walls that were not there prior to the onslaught of the tremors, including some parts of residential roadways. It was the strongest earthquake to hit New Jersey since the estimated 5.3 magnitude that occurred in 1783, including the estimated 5.0 magnitude that happened in 1884. The earthquake's epicenter was in Tewksbury Township, located in Hunterdon County. Scientists believe that the earthquake's culprit is the Ramapo Fault, located in the Newark basin and known to be the longest fault in the Northeast. It extends from Pennsylvania and through New Jersey's Hunterdon, Somerset, Morris, Passaic, and Bergen counties. It ends in Westchester County, NY, and is in close proximity to the Indian Point Energy Center's nuclear power plant. The Ramapo Fault is part of the Ramapo Fault zone, consisting of a system of faults between the northern Appalachian Mountains and Piedmont Mountains areas to the east. The earthquake is believed to have occurred in the vicinity where fault lines have been identified and run the risk of being active again at any time. The United State Geological Survey said during a news conference that there is the possibility of more earthquakes in the coming weeks. Statistical modelers estimate a 3 percent chance of an earthquake ranging in a magnitude 5.0 or higher. In Little Falls, Mayor James Damiano said that those in the Township reacted more to the surprise of the rare earthquake. "Fortunately within Little Falls, it seems the shock that everyone experienced related to the earthquake was more so due to the surprise of the uncommon event rather than any actual damage that may have resulted," he said. "I'm happy to report that there have not been any claims of substantial damage throughout the town." Totowa Mayor John Coiro also said that Borough did not reported any damages. "To the best of our knowledge, there was no structural damage to any public buildings," he added. "Even though residents also did not report any damage, plenty of them called to find out what was happening."
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Photo by Tina Pappas The view of Passaic Valley is seen from Overmount Avenue in Woodland Park. The area was hit by the 4.8 earthquake that rattled New Jersey on April 5. No major damages were reported in either Woodland Park, Little Falls or Totowa, according to each town’s mayor.
Woodland Park Mayor Tracy Kallert said she and her staff were in a meeting at the Borough's municipal building when the earthquake first hit "At first we thought it was a large truck as we are very close to Route 80." she explained. "When the shaking increased and did not stop we realized it was an earthquake, and we immediately evacuated the building. Our code enforcement officers checked for structural damage and seeing none we allowed employees back into the building. We were fortunate that we avoided any damage." In an interview, Governor Phil Murphy said the older structures in the state are being surveyed and monitored, especially the tunnels under the Hudson River that were built in 1911, and the reason why new ones are being built. He added that the review of infrastructure will be continuing on. He stressed the importance of remaining calm and level-headed during an emergency. He also said New Jersey will remain on high alert.