This Is the Biggest Earthquake to Ever Shake New York

Most people worry about places like Los Angeles getting earthquakes, but the East Coast can get quakes too. New York has experienced a few reasonably strong earthquakes in the past. However, one of these events stands out among all the others. Today, we’re going to look at the biggest earthquake to ever shake New York, showing you how strong it was, where it hit, and the impact it had on the area.  

What Was the Biggest Earthquake to Ever Shake New York?

The biggest earthquake to ever shake New York was a 5.8 M_w quake that struck the state on September 5, 1944. The earthquake is known as the 1944 Cornwall-Massena earthquake, striking both New York and Canada. The powerful quake struck with an intensity that measured VIII or Severe on the Modified Mercalli Intensity scale.

The earthquake occurred in the northernmost reaches of the state of New York, so it was far away from New York City, the most populated area of the state. However, the areas struck by the earthquake experienced some damage.

The remote location of the earthquake and the somewhat weak shaking did not cause much in the way of damage or casualties. That is fortunate because many states have had much more powerful, deadly quakes in their history.

What Caused the Cornwall-Massena Earthquake?

The Cornwall-Massena earthquake was the result of an oblique-slip fault. This sort of fault combines elements of a dip-slip and strike-slip motion. The earthquake occurred in the Saint Lawrence rift system, a seismically active area that exists near the Saint Lawrence River. Although this rift system is quite large, few major earthquakes have struck the area in the past. The earthquake struck at a depth of 20 km or 12.4 miles.

Now that we have looked at the causes of the Cornwall-Massena earthquake, we can start to consider the location and impacts of this event.

Where Was the Epicenter of the Cornwall-Massena Earthquake?

The biggest earthquake to ever shake New York struck in the northernmost part of New York State and the southeastern part of Canada. The event’s epicenter was 44.956°N 74.833°W. Looking at a map, it’s clear that this quake struck near Massena, New York. This town is just over 4 miles from the border with Canada. The epicenter is roughly 50 miles from Ottawa and 70 miles from Montreal, but neither city was greatly impacted by the earthquake.

Cornwall in Ontario, Canada was the closest city to the earthquake. Given its higher population density and number of buildings, Cornwall was more greatly impacted by the quake than Massena. How bad did things get in those two areas, though? Let’s explore that in the following sections.

How Much Damage Did New York’s Biggest Earthquake Cause?

Putting a monetary figure to the damage caused by the earthquake is a helpful way to wrap one’s head around the event’s destruction. In this case, the total damage was about $2 million back in 1944. In 2024, that would be worth over $30 million.

The earthquake caused a variety of damage to structures throughout Massena, New York. Chimneys, a common victim of earthquakes, collapsed or cracked throughout the town. However, the worst damage was reserved for Cornwall in Ontario. Many buildings formed cracks in their foundations. Other structures suffered damage from falling stone works from other buildings.

The earthquake was felt far away in places like New York City, Boston, and even Toronto. Fortunately, the damage was not that great. While a 5.8 M_w earthquake is certainly not weak, such quakes are not capable of causing massive, widespread death and destruction.

How Many People Perished in the 1944 Quake?

The biggest earthquake to ever shake New York may have cost a lot in terms of money, but it did not cost the people of the United States or Canada even a single life. In fact, no records exist of any serious injuries occurring throughout the powerful event. Despite buildings having some damage, the earthquake was not all that terrible.

In other words, the strongest earthquake to hit New York was not all that devastating. Although earthquakes along the Saint Lawrence rift system are fairly common, they are not typically that large or powerful.

All in all, the most powerful quake to strike New York was concentrated in the northern part of the state. Nobody died in the quake, and it seems that nobody was badly injured during the event either. Although the quake was fairly intense, it could have been much worse for those people living in New York and Ontario.  

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