A 4.8-magnitude earthquake struck near New York City on Friday morning, the US Geological Survey said, shaking buildings and surprising residents in an area that rarely experiences notable seismic activity but apparently causing no major damage.

The quake's epicenter was near Whitehouse Station, New Jersey, and occurred just after 10:20 AM ET (1420 GMT) at a depth of 4.7 kilometers (2.9 miles), the USGS said.

People reported feeling tremors from Pennsylvania to Massachusetts. A New York City Police Department spokesperson said it had not received any reports of damages.