It wouldn’t take an unusually strong earthquake to cause severe damage across the Big Apple, analysis shows, but geology experts say New Yorkers shouldn’t be trembling about the Big One coming any time soon — even as the city experienced its third temblor in just over a year Monday afternoon.
An earthquake clocking in at just 5.2 on the Richter scale would cause about $4.7 billion in damage if it struck today, and also leave around 100 buildings “completely damaged” and about 2,000 people homeless, according to a 2019 disaster assessment done by the city.
That analysis was based on a quake of the same magnitude that shook the city on Aug. 10, 1884, which sent chimneys toppling and brick walls shattering…