There were some reports earlier today of an earthquake in southern New Jersey, but according to the U.S. Geological Survey, it was actually a sonic boom.
Or rather, multiple sonic booms, as they wrote on their website. The booms were reported from South Jersey all the way up to Long Island.
People who felt them earlier tweeted about it:
anybody out there feel an earthquake or sonic boom a few minutes ago? I heard and felt two…
— Mark Melhorn (@ACPressSports) January 28, 2016
Earthquake or Sonic Boom Ocean City NJ August 28, 2015 1:30pm est.
Just happened again at 2:01pm est. #domcloses #ocnj
— Domenic Wiley (@domcloses) January 28, 2016
We're getting calls about a whole lotta shakin' goin' on in South Jersey. Tremors? Sonic Boom? We're looking into it. Details @news12nj
— Eric Landskroner (@ericlandskroner) January 28, 2016
Shaking reports in South Jersey sound like sonic booms I experienced multiple times growing up there.
— Matt Lanza (@mattlanza) January 28, 2016
So did anyone else feel shaking on south jersey?
— Plunkett (@MattPlunkett) January 28, 2016
Was that an #earthquake in #NewJersey I just felt?
— Rob Kelly (@robkellysurf) January 28, 2016
That's three times now.. #earthquake or whatever it is #NewJersey
— Rob Kelly (@robkellysurf) January 28, 2016
5th and strongest tremble I've felt. Would a sonic boom be felt more than once? #newjersey
— Rob Kelly (@robkellysurf) January 28, 2016
That's 6 times and they seem to be getting stronger each time. #new jersey #earthquake? #sonicboom
— Rob Kelly (@robkellysurf) January 28, 2016
The source of the booms is not yet known. Police departments across South Jersey all let people know they’re aware of the shaking and some even told people to stop calling 911 about it.
UPDATE –– 3:52 pm EST: It’s still not yet confirmed what caused the booms––NORAD provided a statement to that effect moments earlier––but some reports are suggesting this might be the catalyst:
#BREAKING: Shaking felt on #LongIsland & the #JerseyShore was caused by a military aircraft from McGuire AFB that broke the sound barrier.
— ABC7NY NewsDesk (@ABC7NYNewsDesk) January 28, 2016
[featured image via USGS]
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Follow Josh Feldman on Twitter: @feldmaniac
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