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USGS: Sonic Boom May To Blame For Tremors Felt On Connecticut Coastline

FAIRFIELD COUNTY, Conn. –Do you feel the ground shake? Hear a loud noise? Reports of tremors shook coastal Fairfield County and parts of the Northeast on Thursday afternoon.

The U.S. Geological Survey recorded the sonic boom Thursday afternoon in southern New Jersey, over 100 miles from Coastal Connecticut.

The U.S. Geological Survey recorded the sonic boom Thursday afternoon in southern New Jersey, over 100 miles from Coastal Connecticut.

Photo Credit: U.S. Geological Survey

Poll
Did you feel a tremor or hear a sonic boom?
Final Results Voting Closed

Did you feel a tremor or hear a sonic boom?

  • yes
    19%
  • no
    73%
  • not sure
    5%
  • don't know what a sonic boom is
    2%

The U.S. Geological Survey, which assesses earthquakes, says there was no earthquake in the area. But it said via Twitter the shaking was caused by a sonic boom in Hammonton, N.J., at 1:24 p.m. Thursday. A sonic boom is caused by an object breaking the speed of sound. 

"Not an earthquake but a sonic boom in New Jersey," USGS said via Twitter.

The USGS also said, "since many have asked: A sonic boom travels through the air with the airplane so it arrives at different ground locations at different times."

Hammonton is about 35 miles south of Trenton, N.J.

But residents along the Connecticut shoreline, about 120 miles away, reported feeling the effects. 

"House rumbled and windows creaked noisily in Fairfield, CT," said ggal ‏via Twitter @ggal67. 

Sean Ireland via Twitter ‏@irelandspi said, "I felt house shaking few times the past hour. Norwalk, CT." 

The weather folks at SWCT/NY Weather Info said via Twitter ‏@SWCTweather that there were, "A few reports out there of some weak ground shaking, but no reports of earthquakes or seismic activity. Anyone feel anything?"

Farther up the shoreline, the Town of Madison, CT via Twitter @Madison911 said, "Callers from Ft. Path Rd. reporting that they felt shaking at around 2:30 pm. Possibly related to reported earthquake in Southern NJ?"

The USGS says there was no earthquake. 

Other reports from Connecicut included Carrie Leber via @CarrieLeber, saying "So who in Connecticut has felt the #earthquake - there's been 4 tremors in the past hour."

And Style Chicks via @stylechicks said, "They have been shaking the windows pretty hard here in Southern CT." 

Did you feel anything? Add a comment on send an email to ktensa@dailyvoice.com. Include your location and the time it occurred. 

Posts at the USGS Facebook page reported also "tremors" across New Jersey, in the Philadelphia area and across Long Island, N.Y.

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