Sonic boom caused tremors, not earthquake, USGS officials say

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A number of barrier island residents reported that tremors had their homes shaking on Thursday afternoon which quickly sparked talk of an earthquake, though officials at the U.S. Geological Survey say it was likely a sonic boom caused by a military jet.

“Probable sonic boom,” the agency said on its website. “First of multiple over the following hour after this event. Reported from southern New Jersey along the Eastern Seaboard to Long Island, N.Y.”

According to Newsday, a southern New Jersey USGS station reported the first sound wave in New Jersey at about 1:23 p.m.; shortly after, the shock waves were felt as far north as Long Island and Connecticut.

“While on the phone, my front door started shuttering for no apparent reason,” Point Lookout resident Donna Brown said on Facebook. “And it happened more than once! It just happened again and I am now in a different room! It doesn't seem all that windy for this to be happening! Anyone else?”

Newsday reports that previous military flights along the East Coast have caused similar confusion when exceeding the speed of sound.