“When the earthquake went by, I thought it was a helicopter,” 21-year-old Bri Harper of Leonardo said of the 4.8 magnitude earthquake New Jersey experienced on Friday, April 5.
According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the initial earthquake occurred at 10:23 a.m. near Whitehouse Station in Hunterdon County and its shake could be felt throughout the tri-state area.
Ten minutes later, Brookdale President David Stout sent this email, “If you’re on campus and felt the buildings shaking, we did experience a minor earthquake. At this time, we have no reports of damage. Please remember that small aftershocks will often follow.”
Just 12 minutes later, Stout said a followup email, “In any aftershocks occur, the Protocol for an earthquake includes the following:
Drop to your hands and knees.
Cover your head and neck/entire body under a table or desk.
Hold onto the table/desk that you are using as shelter under the shaking stops. Be prepared to move to another location/shelter if needed.”
“I went to check on my pets, and they were a little scared,” said Richard Delio, 18-year old sports marketing major from Middletown.
More than three dozen aftershocks have been reported since, as it is common for minor tremors to occur following a significant quake.
“I literally slept through it, and I feel so left out,” said Elena Clemonte, 20-year old education major. “I woke up to my phone going crazy because my group chat was freaking out.”