A 4.8-magnitude earthquake struck near New York City on Friday morning, the U.S. Geological Survey said, shaking buildings up and down the East Coast and surprising residents in an area that rarely experiences notable seismic activity.

The quake's epicenter was in Tewksbury in central New Jersey, about 40 miles (64 kilometers) west of New York City. It occurred just after 10:20 a.m. ET (1420 GMT) at a depth of 4.7 kilometers (2.9 miles), the USGS said.

At 5:59 p.m. there was a small but noticeable aftershock, which had a magnitude of 4.0, according to the USGS.

No major damage was reported, but engineering teams were inspecting roads and bridges.

"This is one of the largest earthquakes on the East Coast in the last century," New York Governor Kathy Hochul said at a news conference.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams said that no injuries had been reported but urged city residents to take cover under furniture, in a doorway or next to an interior wall if they felt aftershocks.

"New Yorkers should go about their normal day," he said at a news conference.

People from Baltimore to Boston reported feeling rumbling and shaking, with some running outside to try to detect the source.

Charita Walcott, a 38-year-old resident in the Bronx borough of New York, said the quake felt "like a violent rumble that lasted about 30 seconds or so."

"It was kind of like being in a drum circle, that vibration," she said.