New York, NY – Residents on Roosevelt Island and in the Astoria neighborhood of Queens were startled early Tuesday morning by what they described as shaking and small explosions. Emergency crews responded to 911 calls from the area, but initially found no clear source for the disturbances. However, the mystery was potentially solved when the U.S. Geological Survey reported a 1.7 magnitude earthquake near Astoria at the same time as the reported incidents.
The reports of shaking and explosions led to a large firefighting effort in the area, but no fire was found, according to the NYPD. Fire officials declared the scene “unfounded” and turned it over to Con Edison, which sent emergency crews to investigate the situation. The power company reported no outages on Roosevelt Island and worked to determine if the reported earthquake was indeed the cause of the disturbances.
Residents described hearing loud booms and feeling their buildings shake, but no injuries or significant damage were reported. One building was specifically mentioned as experiencing shaking during the incident. The situation was resolved within about an hour, and no rescues were needed as a result of the disturbances.
While the U.S. Geological Survey reported an earthquake in the area at the same time as the reported incidents, local officials have not confirmed whether the earthquake was definitively the cause. The FDNY faced a puzzling situation with no clear cause, but the potential connection to the earthquake may provide an explanation for the unusual early morning events in the area.
In summary, emergency crews responded to reports of shaking and small explosions in the Roosevelt Island and Astoria areas early Tuesday morning. While no fire was found, the U.S. Geological Survey reported a 1.7 magnitude earthquake near Astoria at the same time as the reported incidents, potentially explaining the unusual disturbances experienced by residents.