Rockland rocked by earthquake

At approximately 10:19 a.m. on the morning of April 5, a surprise 4.8 magnitude earthquake hit near Lebanon, New Jersey, resulting in tremors that were felt throughout Rockland County.

According to CNN, reports of tremors being felt by the public have been made throughout the Hudson Valley and Northeast, from Philadelphia to New York City.

Many Rockland residents marked the occasion by gathering at Indian Rock in the village of Montebello to observe a reputed crack in the 8 to 12 billion year old chunk of granite, which
some claimed was caused by the earthquake. Stories abounded on social media, and very briefly on the Rockland Times.com, that the landmark had been damaged by the quake, but further investigation provided negligible evidence that the natural phenomena had a tangible effect on Indian Rock.

Ramapo police told the RCT that Indian Rock had been cracked long before the earthquake as documented by photos of the local landmark taken in 2019.

Montebello Mayor Lance Millmian also said Indian Rock had always been split in a statement shared with Lo-Hud, though he further stated that village engineers were conducting a survey to confirm the earthquakes effect on the rock, or lack thereof.

Despite the skepticism expressed by local offi cials, some village residents believe that the tremors felt last Friday did widen the existing fissure. At time of publication, no one has defi nitively cracked the case.