SOUTH JERSEY RESIDENTS IN FRANTIC AFTER HEARING SONIC BOOMS AND FEELING GROUNDS TREMBLE:
- Anthony Lemmo
- Jan 29, 2016
- 2 min read
On January 28, 2016 local emergency dispatch centers in multiple counties in southern New Jersey were overwhelmed with frantic calls from their residence; Local residence in the south jersey communities heard multiple loud sonic booms and felt the ground shaking not once, but four separate times, County residence stated that it almost felt like an earthquake however just with loud booming sounds.
Local county officials say sonic booms heard and felt along the coast from New Jersey to Connecticut were caused by military fighter jets conducting routine tests.
A Navy spokeswoman says an F-35C and F-18 from Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland, were conducting supersonic testing off the coast Thursday afternoon; The F-35C has a top speed of nearly 1,200 mph.
However The U.S. Navy did release the following statement:
"Aircraft from Naval Test Wing Atlantic were conducting routine flight testing in the Atlantic Test Ranges this afternoon that included activities which may have resulted in sonic booms.
The test wing is critical to the safe test and evaluation of all types of Navy and Marine Corps aircraft in service and in development and is primarily based out of Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md.
Other military aircraft, including both Navy and Air Force, also frequently use the ranges for testing and training."
Residents reported hearing loud booms and feeling the ground and buildings shake. The booms were heard as far away as Connecticut.
Navy spokeswoman Connie Hempel says supersonic test flights are conducted almost daily in the same area but that most sonic booms aren't felt on land.
She says certain atmospheric conditions can increase the chance of hearing the booms.
The U.S. Geological Survey first confirmed that the event was a sonic boom.
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."
The USGS provided the locations of the sonic booms they recorded, and their proximity to nearby towns:
- 2 miles NNE of Hammonton, NJ
- 8 miles SSE of Jackson, NJ
- 11 miles East of Williamstown, NJ
- 13 miles SE of Pine Hill, NJ
- 37 miles S of Trenton, NJ
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