Canada earthquake rattles buildings in northern N.J., New York state

[Pastor Dale Morgan]

Great Earthquakes In Diverse Places

Canada earthquake rattles buildings in northern N.J., New York state

Published: Wednesday, June 23, 2010, 2:58 PM     Updated: Wednesday, June 23, 2010, 5:58 PM
The Star-Ledger


BERGEN COUNTY — A 5.0 magnitude earthquake today centered north of Ottawa, Canada rattled buildings throughout New York state and stretched into Bergen County, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

Police in Bergen County said they received reports of buildings shaking before 2 p.m. The reports seemed to be focused in Hackensack, which is more than 350 miles from the epicenter of the 1:41 p.m. earthquake, authorities said.

A U.S. Geological Survey official said the earthquake primarily was felt in Ottawa, upstate New York and Vermont, though there are no reports of any serious damage.

In Hackensack, the Bergen County administration building was evacuated for about 15 minutes when tremors from the earthquake began, said Sheri Hensley, a spokesperson for the Bergen County Executive’s Office.

Hensley said around 1:45 p.m. the five-story building began “very gently swaying.” Nothing was damaged during the tremor, she said.

Employees were allowed back into the building after it was cleared by the Bergen County Fire Marshall, she said.

“It was noticeable,” she said. “Nothing fell off my bookcase, nothing fell off my desk.”

Hensley said she believes there were a few other evacuations throughout the city.

“It was strictly as a precaution,” she said.

The reports of tremors on the U.S. Geological Survey website includes Hackensack, Secaucus, Morristown, and Eatontown.