Earthquakes near New York City through history

The strongest was an estimated magnitude 5.5 on August 10, 1884 (Rockaway Beach, Near New York City). It was also the deadliest: NOAA records 3 deaths for it. The latest on NOAA’s list is an earthquake on November 10, 1932 (Willetts Point). NOAA’s record here begins on June 18, 1871 with an earthquake (Long Island). NOAA lists 3 tsunamis that began within 100 km of New York City. The highest of them reached 0.28 m, on May 19, 1964.

• May 19, 1964Tsunami · 0.28 m highLong Island, NyNOAA NCEI
• November 10, 1932EarthquakeWilletts PointNOAA NCEI
• September 1, 1895Earthquake · M 4.3 (est.)High BridgeNOAA NCEI
• August 10, 1884Earthquake · M 5.5 (est.)Rockaway Beach, Near New York City · 3 deaths (NOAA)NOAA NCEI
• June 18, 1871EarthquakeLong IslandNOAA NCEI

• An event counts for New York City when it began within 100 km of its centre, or 200 km for an earthquake of magnitude 7 or more. Damage can reach further.
• USGS counts here start at magnitude 6: the catalogue’s smaller quakes thin out going back, where few instruments listened.
• NOAA lists significant events only: earthquakes that killed, did about $1 million of damage, reached magnitude 7.5 or intensity X, or raised a tsunami, and eruptions and tsunamis by like measures. Magnitudes before 1900 are its estimates from written accounts.
• Deaths are NOAA’s total for each event, wherever people died, its tsunami and fires included. A tsunami counts the dead its runup records give for this place: NOAA’s total for a tsunami includes its source quake’s.
• A tsunami from elsewhere counts where one of its runups killed or rose a metre or more.
• Counted to October 19, 2026, as is the map. The last 30 days ask USGS again.

How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Earthquakes, live, The world through history