Friday’s earthquake, centered in Northern New Jersey, garnered the attention of residents across the United States.
It was certainly not a place one would not expect to find seismic activity, but it materialized with a 4.8 magnitude earthquake Friday morning, shaking residents from Maryland to Maine.
Perhaps you’re wondering if this could happen in South Florida?
The simple answer is “no” or “extremely unlikely.”
Get South Florida local news, weather forecasts and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC South Florida newsletters.
Of all natural disasters that we should be concerned about, an earthquake is certainly not one of them.
Without a robust fault line nearby, there is very little movement in the earth’s crust in our geographic location.
The northern edge of the Caribbean plate is located some 400 miles south of South Florida, encompassing much of the Caribbean and Central America.
Local
It is considered a minor plate and is not a major player in the planet’s seismic activity.
The nature of the high frequency of the earthquake activity from California to Washington state is related to the Pacific Plate, complimented by the Juan de Fuca Plate.
The Pacific Plate is considered, geographically, the largest plate on Earth.
The likelihood of seeing any type of substantial earthquake is exceptionally low across Florida, as the frequency of a damaging event is calculated to be less than 2 times per 10,000 years.
Therefore, it should not be a hazard that you're concerned about anywhere in Florida.
Far more concerning issues are found in the day-to-day risks or seasonal weather anomalies found in rip currents, lightning strikes, extreme heat, flooding and tropical cyclones.
