New York Governor Kathy Hochul faced criticism for her statement regarding the magnitude 4.8 earthquake that struck New York and surrounding areas, where she referred to New Jersey as “west of Manhattan.” In a post on X on Friday, Hochul stated, “A 4.8 magnitude earthquake hit west of Manhattan and has been felt throughout New York.”
The backlash ensued on social media, with users pointing out Hochul’s omission of New Jersey. Hoop It Up CEO George Daniel remarked, “It’s called New Jersey. It’s ok to say the name,” while former New York legislator Ben Geller jokingly commented, “It was Jersey. It’s okay, you can pretend to care about people that don’t live in NYC.” New Jersey Monitor editor Terrence T. McDonald questioned, “Can NJ impeach NY’s governor?” in response to Hochul’s statement.
A 4.8 magnitude earthquake hit west of Manhattan and has been felt throughout New York.
My team is assessing impacts and any damage that may have occurred, and we will update the public throughout the day.
— Governor Kathy Hochul (@GovKathyHochul) April 5, 2024
In addition to criticism directed at Hochul, New York City officials faced scrutiny for the delay in sending out an emergency alert about the earthquake. The US Geological Survey confirmed that the earthquake in Lebanon, New Jersey, occurred around 10:23 a.m., with tremors immediately felt across the tri-state region. However, New York City officials did not issue an emergency alert until 10:47 a.m., with a Wireless Emergency alert following at 11:02 a.m. Some locals reported receiving the alerts even after noon.
Addressing a news conference on Friday, Zachary Iscol, director of the city’s Office of Emergency Management, clarified that the Adams administration opted to verify the earthquake before notifying residents.
