The Westchester Brief | 03.17.26: The Earthquake on the Ramapo Fault

A 2.3 magnitude earthquake struck Sleepy Hollow on March 10th—one of only twenty quakes that size or larger in this area since 1950. Twelve hundred people reported feeling it. The epicenter sits on the Dobbs Ferry Fault, connected to the Ramapo system, and seven miles from the Indian Point nuclear plant. Plus: ConEd rate hikes are now in effect, New York's first inflation refund checks are coming, and Westchester County launches a new podcast.

In This Episode:
0:00 Cold Open: The ground shook in Sleepy Hollow
0:40 USGS data and what residents felt
1:45 The Ramapo Fault and Dobbs Ferry Fault explained
2:45 Indian Point and seismic risk
3:45 2024 Tewksbury comparison
4:30 Quick Hits: ConEd rate hikes, inflation refund checks, Westchester Explained podcast
6:30 Closing remarks

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Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:01

At 1017 last Tuesday morning, the ground shook in Sleepy Hollow. A 2.3 magnitude earthquake. The kind most geologists will tell you is nothing to worry about. But when you live on top of one of the most active fault systems in the Northeast, and a shuttered nuclear plant sits seven miles away. Nothing is not the right word. This is the Westchester Brief. I'm Jim. Let's get into it. The United States Geological Survey confirmed that a magnitude 2.3 earthquake struck approximately half a mile west of Sleepy Hollow on March 10th. The quake originated 4.6 miles beneath the surface. Close to 1,200 people reported feeling the tremor to the USGS, most from Westchester County, but reports also came from the Bronx, Putnam County, and parts of Connecticut. Residents described hearing a loud bang followed by a sharp jolt. Some compared it to a heavy truck slamming into the side of their house, windows rattled, dishes moved, and then it was over. No damage was reported anywhere in the county. Officials at the former Indian Point site conducted precautionary surveys and confirmed no impact to decommissioning operations. But here is the part of this story that deserves attention. This was not a random event. Sleepy Hollow sits within the Dobbs Ferry Fault Zone, which connects to the larger Ramapo Fault system. An active seismic corridor running from Pennsylvania through New Jersey and into New York. The Ramapo Fault is the most seismically active fault system in the northeastern United States. Since 1950, there have been only 20 earthquakes of 2.3 magnitude or greater in this immediate vicinity. That makes Tuesday's event uncommon but not unprecedented. The East Coast's dense, rigid bedrock means seismic waves travel farther than they would on the west coast. That is why a relatively small earthquake in Sleepy Hollow could be felt 60 miles away. Now context matters here. In April of 2024, a 4.8 magnitude earthquake struck Tewkesbury, New Jersey, about 50 miles southwest of Westchester. That quake released roughly 5,000 times more energy than what Sleepy Hollow experienced last week. It rattled buildings across the tri-state area and produced dozens of aftershocks over the following months. Tuesday's quake was not in that category, but it is a reminder of something most Westchester residents do not think about. We live in a seismically active region. The fault lines are real. They move, and the geology does not care about our property values or our commute. County executive Ken Jenkins used the earthquake to reinforce his opposition to reopening Indian Point. His statement read in part Today's earthquake underscores yet another reason why a nuclear power plant does not belong in Westchester County. Whether you agree with that framing or not, the geological fact underneath it is worth understanding. Indian Point sits near the intersection of two identified seismic zones. That was a concern when the plant was operating. It remains a concern during decommissioning, and it would be a central question in any conversation about rebuilding. The USGS continues to monitor the region. There is no indication of elevated seismic activity following Tuesday's event. Here is what else is happening across Westchester this week. Consolidated Edison rate increases are now in effect across the county. The Public Service Commission approved a three-year agreement that raises electric rates 2.8%, and gas rates 2% annually through 2028. For a Westchester household using 425 kilowatt hours of electricity per month, that means an additional $5.32 on your bill, a 3.6% increase. Gas customers using 100 therms will see an extra $10.67, a 4.4% jump. Governor Hokul's fiscal year 2026 state budget includes the state's first ever inflation refund checks. Joint filers earning up to $150,000 will receive $400. Single filers earning up to $75,000 will receive $200. The budget also delivers a middle-class tax cut that officials say will bring rates to their lowest level in 70 years. Westchester County launched a new podcast series called Westchester Explained on March 5th. The show breaks down county policies and programs and serves as a companion to the existing This Week in Westchester series. That is your Tuesday. Subscribe on YouTube for the video version of every episode. You get the full brief with timestamps so you can jump to the stories that matter most to you. I'm Jim, and I live here. I'll see you tomorrow.