You’re not the only one who took to social media to confirm that you weren’t imagining the earthquake.
Residents of the East Coast were shaken Friday morning by an earthquake with an estimated magnitude of 4.8. When the initial panic subsided, the jokes – and disbelief – followed online.
From genuine confusion over what just happened to clever jabs at the East-West Coast rivalry, here are some of the best reactions we’ve seen on social media to this unusual earthquake.
It’s okay, huh?
While New York and New Jersey residents’ first thought probably wasn’t, “Is the Empire State Building still standing?” the famous monument (or the humans behind its social media account) reassured Internet users about X.
Meanwhile, a prolific, unofficial local weather report apologized for not seeing the earthquake coming:
I forgot to include the scattered earthquakes in today’s weather assessment. My fault.
– NYC Subway Weather (@nymetrowx) April 5, 2024
No news yet from the Statue of Liberty.
Wait, was that the subway I just felt?
If you were surprised to feel shaking in the usually non-seismic Big Apple and rushed to search for “New York earthquakes” to see when the last time it happened, You are not the only one.
And of course, some couldn’t help but compare New York with its unofficial rival Los Angeles, a city known for its proximity to the San Andreas Fault.
“Nyc has earthquakes, now Los Angeles is over,” wrote one X user (in New York, according to his bio).
Another article pointed out that New York experienced an earthquake before it even had a branch of the popular Los Angeles-based grocer Erewhon. Sorry, New Yorkers, still no $20 Hailey Bieber smoothie for you.
Meanwhile, Business Insider’s sister company Morning Brew pointed out that the epicenter of the earthquake was located In fact in New Jersey, not New York.
Earthquakes World Cup Final
🤝
Things are happening in New Jersey
for which New York takes credit– Morning beer ☕️ (@MorningBrew) April 5, 2024
There’s no doubt that “Sopranos” memes are coming.
Um, really? An earthquake?
Some people handled the event the way New Yorkers do – being annoyed by the inconveniences and finding a way to complain about their living situation.
“Screaming ‘I’M WAKING HERE’ in front of a tectonic plate,” one user posted.
Others refused to die in a small house in town.
“I DON’T WANT TO DIE IN A STUDIO,” one message read.
And commuters simply didn’t have the patience to deal with a natural disaster that shut down the subway, even though the quake only lasted about a minute.
On the bright side, we’ve all learned that New Yorkers can find humor when faced with a natural hazard. Unfortunately, memes aren’t exactly the best way to raise awareness.
The next earthquake might not happen for 10 years, but it’s best to prepare with more than just your smartphone.
businessinsider
