Fighter jets caused sonic booms along coast

Officials say sonic booms heard and felt along the US East Coast were caused by a military fighter jet conducting tests.

An F-35C being tested by the Navy caused the booms, the military said Thursday evening.

Tremors in NY and New Jersey on Thursday – likely the result of flight tests in Maryland – left locals speculating about what had happened.

The United States Geological Survey confirmed a sonic boom hit just northeast of Hammonton, New Jersey. The observatory measured vibrations and low-frequency sound waves consistent with about eight sonic booms from approximately 1:20 p.m.to 2:40 p.m., said Won-Young Kim, a research professor there. The USGS also says there were at least 9 sonic booms recorded during an hour and a half span. The USGS explained in a tweet: “A sonic boom travels through the air w/ the airplane so it arrives at different ground locations at different times”.

Navy spokeswoman Connie Hempel said supersonic tests flights are done nearly daily in the same area but that most sonic booms aren’t felt on land. However, under certain atmospheric conditions there is an increased potential to hear the sound, according to a statement from Naval Air Station Patuxent River.

The tremors produced numerous emergency calls to local police departments, some of which took to Twitter to ask residents not to flood their lines with more reports. “What’s the best way to let them know the other 49 states are just fine with this?”