Upstate New York Rumbled By Earthquake On New Year’s Day

New Year's Earthquake Reported in Upstate New York

While millions of New Yorkers rang in the New Year with friends, family, and loved ones after the clock struck midnite, some residents in Upstate New York were ushered into 2025 with the rare rumble of an earthquake.

WPIX in New York reported that a 2.4-magnitude earthquake shook parts of upstate New York on New Year's Day, according to the United States Geological Survey.

According to the source, the USGS said that the earthquake struck near the Canadian border, which was less than four miles outside Fort Covington, at around 12:57 a.m

2024 Earthquakes in New York

Last April, a sizable earthquake hit most parts of New York, and within minutes, it became apparent that pretty much the entire state felt it. On Tuesday morning, a smallish quake hit New York, and the epicenter was about two hours south of Albany, but experts said it was felt in the Adirondacks.

Back in May, according to sources, a mild 2.1-magnitude earthquake—from near Elizabethtown, NY, about two hours south of Albany—happened on Tuesday morning at around 10:20 a.m. While it wasn't anything like the quake experienced in April, it was enough to shake parts of the Adirondacks.

"The earthquake hit roughly 269 miles north of New York City, in the Adirondack Mountains, around 10:23 a.m. The epicenter of the earthquake was located around 7 miles from Elizabethtown, according to the USGS." - PIX 11

Measuring the Strength of Earthquakes

According to experts, here's the earthquake magnitude scale and how each affects us.

• 2.5 or less: Usually not felt, but can be recorded by a seismograph
• 2.5 to 5.4: Often felt but only causes minor damage.
• 5.5 to 6.0: Slight damage to buildings and other structures.
• 6.1 to 6.9: This may cause much damage in very populated areas.