New York earthquake brings travel to a halt as airports and tunnels temporarily hit pause
- The Federal Aviation Authority issued ground stops at JFK and EWR following an earthquake.
- The Holland Tunnel, NJ Transit, and New York City subways also experienced delays.
Travel for this weekend's Solar Eclipse is in full swing nationwide, but an unexpected earthquake Friday morning caused airline and tunnel disruptions all across New York and the tri-state area.
The United States Geological Survey estimated the earthquake fell under a 4.8 magnitude, which is the largest in about 250 years. The epicenter was 30 miles west of Newark, New Jersey.
The Federal Aviation Authority issued ground stops at JFK and Newark Liberty International Airport. Additionally, flights that were supposed to land in Newark were held as workers inspected the runaway for damage.
The ground stop at John F. Kennedy International Airport ended by 11:30 a.m, according to Flightradar24. The ground stop at Newark was issued at 11:05 a.m. and ended close to 12:30 p.m., according to live updates on the FAA website.
Departures to Newark are delayed 77 minutes and arrivals are delayed about 45 minutes, according to the FAA.
"A 4.8 magnitude earthquake in New Jersey may impact some air traffic facilities in New York, New Jersey, Philadelphia, and Baltimore," FAA spokesperson Crystal Essiaw said. "Air traffic operations are resuming as quickly as possible."
The earthquake is also impacting drivers in the city. The Holland Tunnel closed temporarily for an inspection following the earthquake. NJ Transit posted on X at 11 a.m. that the rail service was delayed up to 20 minutes due to "bridge inspections following an earlier earthquake."
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul posted on X, formerly Twitter, that her office is assessing "impacts and any damage that may have occurred."