‘It’s OK to say the name’: Kathy Hochul gets called out for referring to New Jersey as ‘west of Manhattan’ in earthquake statement

WASHINGTON, DC: Governor Kathy Hochul of New York came under fire after she referred to New Jersey as "west of Manhattan" following a magnitude 4.8 earthquake that struck New York and the neighboring territories, according to the New York Post.

Hochul posted on X where she wrote, "A 4.8 magnitude earthquake hit west of Manhattan and has been felt throughout New York. My team is assessing impacts and any damage that may have occurred, and we will update the public throughout the day."

Kathy Hochul refers to New Jersey as ‘west of Manhattan’

The strongest earthquake to strike close to the Big Apple in 140 years - the earthquake that Hochul cited in her post on X - shook New York City on Friday, April 5. It sent panicked inhabitants onto the streets and caused buildings to tremble.

According to a report, aftershocks started in the early afternoon in New Jersey, and city officials promptly alerted the public to the possibility of them.

Notably, as per the US Geological Survey, the preliminary 4.8-magnitude earthquake in Lebanon, New Jersey, occurred at roughly 10.23 am and may have been felt by over 42 million people.

Monique Horton, who works at the Balmain store on Madison Avenue in Manhattan said, according to the New York Post, "I was doing my morning reporting, and this safe in my office, that’s a ton, starts shaking. The whole room is shaking. I was just freaked out. Scary, really scary. I’m a New Yorker, my whole life, 36 years, never seen anything like it."

Moreover, cameras started shaking during a Security Council meeting on the Israel-Gaza conflict at the UN in Midtown Manhattan. Due to the earthquake, the Federal Aviation Administration advised airlines to anticipate delays in and out of the Big Apple. According to FlightAware, several aircraft headed for New York have already been rerouted to different locations.

Internet mocks Hochul as she refers to New Jersey as ‘west of Manhattan’ 

Several social media users mocked Kathy Hochul as she referred New Jersey as 'west of Manhattan' following a magnitude 4.8 earthquake.

A user posted on X, "Is it so hard to say edison new jersey" while one added, "It’s called New Jersey. It’s ok to say the name."

A person also mentioned, "Calling NJ “West of New York” is fighting words."

A person also added, "Can you also assess the damage that bail reform and squatters do to New York while you’re at it?" whereas one mentioned, "Where west of Manhattan? Does it have a name?"

A person also wrote, "It was Jersey. It’s okay you can pretend to care about people that don’t live in NYC."

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.