Residents in Cape May experienced a loud boom and vibrations on Monday, with no earthquakes reported in the area. The cause may be linked to military aircraft activity, specifically a T-38 Talon seen flying nearby. Local authorities were not informed about any military operations related to the incident, leaving the source of the disturbance unclear.
On Monday afternoon, residents in the Cape May area experienced a mysterious loud boom accompanied by vibrations, although there were no earthquakes reported on the East Coast. Social media posts began circulating just after 3 p.m. as individuals in Cape May, Cape May Courthouse, Villas, and Wildwood questioned whether others had experienced the phenomenon.
The U.S. Geological Survey reported no seismic activity in the region, particularly east of Oklahoma, within the last 24 hours. Notably, some residents remarked that the vibrations could be felt as far north as Lacey Township, with several people noting multiple occurrences of the loud sound.
The source of the noise and vibration might be attributed to military aircraft activity. Flightradar24, a flight tracking application, indicated that a T-38 Talon aircraft was operating near the coast of Maryland and Delaware during the time the disturbances were reported.
Cape May Police Chief, Dekon Fashaw, acknowledged awareness of the boom but confirmed that local authorities had not received reports from military sources regarding any incidents. Air operations from Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst are common in the area; however, no alerts had been issued prior to the boom.
Additionally, the Naval Air Station Patuxent River, located on the Chesapeake Bay in Virginia, issued a noise warning on Monday citing training exercises scheduled from 6 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Requests for comments from Navy and Air Force officials were not immediately answered following the incident.
In summary, residents of the Cape May area experienced a loud boom and vibrations on Monday without any reported seismic activity. Theories regarding the cause point towards military aircraft, particularly a T-38 Talon that was in flight during the time of the disturbance. Despite common military operations in the region, local authorities received no prior reports or explanations for the noise as of the incident. The investigation into the source remains ongoing.
Original Source: www.nj.com