New York, New York - A magnitude 4.8 earthquake that was felt strongly in the New York City, Philadelphia, and Boston areas rattled the Northeast this morning at 10:23 AM.

United States Geological Survey (USGS) data shows that the quake appears to have originated just over four miles North of Whitehouse Station, New Jersey.

In Brooklyn and Manhattan, buildings shook, rattling cupboard doors and fixtures but there were no initial reports of injuries or damage.

"Residents are advised to remain indoors and to call 911 if injured," an emergency alert said.

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Flight operations were halted at several airports in the region including New York's La Guardia, Philadelphia, and Newark in New Jersey.

"Air traffic operations are resuming as quickly as possible," the Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement.

"Earthquakes are uncommon but not unheard of along the Atlantic Coast, a zone one study called a 'passive-aggressive margin' because there's no active plate boundary between the Atlantic and North American plates," the USGS wrote on X.

The USGS says that moderately damaging earthquakes strike somewhere in the urban corridor roughly twice a century, and smaller earthquakes are felt roughly every two to three years.

President Joe Biden was briefed on the earthquake, his spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre said.

"The White House is in touch with federal, state, and local officials as we learn more," she added.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul acknowledged New Yorkers were "not accustomed" to earthquakes and – at a hastily convened press briefing – warned residents to be wary of any possible aftershocks.

At the UN, which has its headquarters in New York, a Security Council meeting on the situation in Gaza was temporarily paused after the tremor.

"Is that an earthquake?" said Save the Children representative Janti Soeripto who was speaking at the time of the quake. One diplomat joked, "One for the memoirs."

Social media users reported feeling the earthquake from Philadelphia up to New York and eastward along Long Island.

The iconic Empire State Building reported on its X account: "I AM FINE."

Several users posted images of knocked-over garden furniture and trash cans captioned, "we will rebuild."

Social media users jokingly questioned whether an earthquake coming days before the April 8 solar eclipse, which will be visible across swathes of the northeastern United States, heralded the end of the world.