Did you feel it?

A magnitude 3.0 earthquake shook New Jersey and New York late Saturday night. The U.S. Geological Survey reported the earthquake was centered around Hasbrouck Heights, New Jersey.

If the earthquake triggered memories of last year’s big shake there are some key differences. Last year’s earthquake centered near Tewksbury, New Jersey, was a magnitude 4.8. That’s almost 20 times stronger than Saturday night’s earthquake.

The Richter scales increases by a factor of ten, so a 4.0 is 10 times stronger than a magnitude 3.0. The epicenter of the Tewksbury quake was also closer to the surface, which can often lead to more violent shaking and damage.

Although not often strong enough for most of us to feel them, earthquakes aren’t uncommon in the Northeast.

There’s actually an active fault running though the Garden State called the Ramapo Fault. Last month, there were at least five small earthquakes centered around Randolph, New Jersey, the largest a magnitude 2.0 on July 22.

One resident of New York’s Brooklyn borough described it as a very brief tremor, just a slight swaying for a moment.

Nevertheless, social media quickly lit up with people who felt it. The official account of the Empire State Building reported in on the social platform X to say: “I AM FINE.”

The tremor was much milder than a 4.8-magnitude quake in 2024 that struck in Tewksbury, New Jersey, a little farther west of the city.

A 3.0 earthquake is typically not strong enough to cause any damage, but tremors that mild are somewhat rare in the Northeast.

New York City Emergency Management said there were no immediate reports of major impacts.