New York City puts out earthquake alert 40 MINUTES late and tells residents to 'stay indoors' and only call 911 if injured

An emergency alert has been sent out almost an hour after an unexpected earthquake hit the Northeast.

At 11:02 am, an alert was sent out to millions of people who were shaken by the quake, which happened at 10:23 am.

'4.7 magnitude earthquake has occurred in the NYC area,' the alert read.

'Residents are advised to remain indoors and to call 911 if injured.' 

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) reported that the quake, which the agency revealed was actually 4.8 in magnitude, was centered near Lebanon, New Jersey. 

The Fire Department of New York said there were no initial reports of damage.

The epicenter of the quake was near Readington in Hunterdon County, according to New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy.

A follow up emergency alert was sent out at 11:46 am, updating New Yorkers as to what to expect.

'Aftershocks may be felt. New Yorkers can continue usual activities,' the alert said.

Both emergency alerts included a link to a USGS article with safety instructions for when an earthquake occurs.

The USGS article instructed those experiencing an earthquake indoors to stay in the building they are in.

'Get under a desk or table and hang on to it or move into a hallway or against an inside wall,' the post read.

In terms of what to avoid, USGS said to steer clear of windows, fireplaces, and heavy furniture or appliances. The kitchen usually has plenty of lose items, so that room of the house is best to avoid if possible.

'DON'T run downstairs or rush outside while the building is shaking or while there is danger of falling and hurting yourself or being hit by falling glass or debris,' the post read.

If you're outside during an earthquake, its best to run into an open area 'away from buildings, power lines, chimneys, and anything else that might fall on you.'

If you're driving during an earthquake, its important to stop the car carefully.

'Move your car as far out of traffic as possible. DO NOT stop on or under a bridge or overpass or under trees, light posts, power lines, or signs. 

'STAY INSIDE your car until the shaking stops. When you RESUME driving, watch for breaks in the pavement, fallen rocks, and bumps in the road at bridge approaches.'

In the event you are caught in a mountainous area, watch out for falling objects, trees, landslides, and other debris brought out by the quake.

Although the 8.5 million-person metropolis is not considered a seismic hot spot, the five boroughs are rife with fault lines that have the potential to collapse scores of structures.

Given that such an earthquake occurs in New York around every 100 years and that the most recent one occurred in 1884,this quake was a long time coming.