Reports of tremors felt in southern and western New Jersey flooded social media at about 1:30 p.m.

Now, at about 3:30, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has reported on Twitter that the rumblings felt were likely not an earthquake but a sonic boom. Why was it felt at different times and, in some spots, multiple times? “A sonic boom travels through the air w/ the airplane so it arrives at different ground locations at different times,” USGS reported.

This editor felt it in Fair Haven while on the phone with a news contact for another story. It wasn’t major, but enough to startle and make the house rumble for a few seconds. It only happened once here.

Seconds later, while the news contact from a mile or two away in the same area did not feel the same quake, people started bombarding social media with reports of tremors. Most reported were felt in western Monmouth County and Ocean County and farther south.

No one else from the immediate area has said they felt any sort of tremor. Since, though, NJ State Police, on their Facebook page, has asked people to let them know where and when tremors were felt throughout the state.

Here’s their post:

“Have you felt the tremors?
We are hearing reports of tremors here in Jersey. For the record, we have not reported any seismic blasts anywhere in the State.
If you’ve felt the tremors today, let us know in the comments where and when. We’re working to confirm.”

While USGS has stood by the sonic boom theory, other sources have disagreed and the state police are still asking people to report any tremors from the afternoon.

Did you feel it?