WHITE PLAINS, NY (March 10, 2026) — A magnitude 2.3 earthquake with an epicenter in Sleepy Hollow was felt in parts of Westchester County at 10:17 a.m. Tuesday, according to the United States Geological Survey.
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“At 10:17 a.m. today March 10, a 2.3 magnitude earthquake with an epicenter in Sleepy Hollow was felt in parts of Westchester County,” said Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins in a statement.
Jenkins said the county’s Department of Emergency Services had not received reports of damage or disruptions.
“At this time, the County’s Department of Emergency Services has not received any reports of operational impacts or damage to infrastructure,” Jenkins said.
Officials at the former Indian Point Energy Center also reported no operational impacts.
“Officials at the former Indian Point site have also reported no impacts to operations and are conducting precautionary site surveys as part of their standard safety protocols,” Jenkins said.
Jenkins said the earthquake served as a reminder that the region experiences seismic activity.
“While this was a minor event, it is a reminder that Westchester County sits in a region where seismic activity can occur,” Jenkins said.
He added that the event highlights concerns about the presence of a nuclear power facility in the county.
“Today’s earthquake underscores yet another reason why a nuclear power plant does not belong in Westchester County. The safety of our residents and the protection of the Hudson Valley must always come first,” Jenkins said.
Although earthquakes in Westchester are relatively uncommon, the region sits within a network of ancient faults associated with the Appalachian Mountains and structures such as the Ramapo Fault. Scientists say stresses within the North American Plate can occasionally reactivate these old fractures, producing small earthquakes.
One of the most notable local earthquakes occurred on Oct. 19, 1985, when a magnitude 4.0 quake struck near Ardsley in southern Westchester and was felt across the Hudson Valley and New York City.
The strongest earthquake historically affecting the broader region occurred on Aug. 10, 1884, when a magnitude 5.2 quake centered near Rockaway Beach shook buildings across the New York metropolitan area.
Even distant earthquakes can be felt in Westchester because seismic waves travel efficiently through the dense bedrock of the eastern United States. For example, the magnitude 5.8 earthquake that struck near Mineral on Aug. 23, 2011, was felt throughout the Hudson Valley.
Seismic activity in the region is monitored by the United States Geological Survey and the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, which record numerous small earthquakes each year across the northeastern United States, most of them too small to be felt.
This article was prepared with the assistance of AI tools under the direction and editing of Robert Cox.