Jan. 2 (UPI) — Two small earthquakes hit the United States on Tuesday — one in New York City and another in Maryland that was felt into West Virginia.
No injuries or damage was reported from either temblor.
A quake measuring a magnitude of 1.7, centered in the Astoria neighborhood of Queens, N.Y., hit at 5:45 a.m. EST, the U.S. Geological Survey reported.
New York Mayor Eric Adams’ office said there were no reported injuries or impact on local transit, traffic, utility services or structural stability.
Hours earlier, around 12:50 a.m. EST, a quake was recorded in Rockville, Md.. That magnitude 2.3 quake was felt as far away as West Virginia.
The East Coast quakes follow others reported on New Year’s Day in southern California.
Meanwhile, a powerful New Year’s Day earthquake in Japan killed at least 48 people. The 7.5-magnitude temblor collapsed buildings and sparked fires.
Earthquakes in the eastern parts of the United States are rare but do happen. August will mark the 13th anniversary of the 2011 earthquake that struck Northern Virginia, damaging the National Cathedral in Washington and the Washington Monument.
