We live in Ocean County, New Jersey. According to several news sources, there is a small fault that runs directly beneath us. During the quake, we heard a grinding noise that sounded like a knife against a sharpening block. Then the house started to shake and groan. Pictures fell, hanging objects were vibrating and swaying. A stack of boxes fell in the basement. All the chimes in the garden were ringing. The dog, cat and parrot were all going nuts. I went outside immediately after the shaking stopped, and it was eerie...no birdsong, butterflies sitting still on the plants. Absolute silence, except for the garden swing, which was still vibrating. My first thought was that something at Lakehurst NAS had exploded, and we had experienced the shock waves.  then we turned on CNN and realized what we experienced.