The View host Joy Behar left stunned as New York City earthquake alert interrupts live taping of ABC show
The View’s Joy Behar and her cohosts were stunned when an emergency earthquake alert sent to New York City residents on Friday interrupted the ABC morning show’s live broadcast.
As 81-year-old Joy opened the final episode, she joked: “We’re alive and well from New York where we just had a 4.8 earthquake,” referring to the incident that occurred at 10:23 a.m. in New York felt as well as in New Jersey, Virginia and Philadelphia.
“Did you all feel it?” she asked the live studio audience, as some responded “yes” and others “no,” prompting her cohost, Alyssa Farah Griffin, to joke, “It’s like half and half!”
As Sara Haines was about to make a comment, the panel’s cell phones began to beep very loudly as the New York City emergency alert came through, warning people to “stay indoors” and only to “call 911 if they were injured.”
The View’s Joy Behar was stunned during Friday’s episode when an emergency earthquake alarm interrupted the live broadcast
Joy, 81, quickly passed her cell phone to co-host Sara Haines and shouted, “Make it stop.”
Ana Navarro read the emergency alert live, ordering NYC residents to ‘stay indoors’
As the hosts, including Ana Navarro and Sunny Hostin, quickly grabbed their cell phones, the television program went silent for a moment as Joy passed her phone to 46-year-old Sara and shouted, “Stop it! Make it stop!’
As mother of three Sara attempted to close all the tabs on Joy’s phone, she commented, “Jeez, how many things do you have open?”
The emergency alert was sent almost an hour after an unexpected earthquake struck the northeast.
“A magnitude 4.7 earthquake has occurred in the New York area,” the alert read.
“Residents are advised to stay indoors and call 911 if they are injured.”
The US Geological Survey (USGS) reported that the earthquake, which the agency revealed was actually a magnitude 4.8, was centered near Lebanon, New Jersey.
The New York Fire Department said there were no initial reports of damage.
According to New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy, the epicenter of the earthquake was near Readington in Hunterdon County.
The emergency warning came through on mobile phones about 30 minutes after the earthquake
Joy and the panel asked the live studio audience if they had felt the earthquake
The orange alert contained a link to an article with safety instructions in case an earthquake occurs.
A follow-up emergency alert was sent at 11:46 a.m., informing New Yorkers of what to expect.
‘Aftershocks may be felt. New Yorkers can continue their usual activities,” the alert said.
The USGS article instructed those who experience an earthquake indoors to remain in the building they are in.
“Sit under a desk or table and hold on to it, or go into a hallway or against an interior wall,” the message read.