Loud boom reported in parts of NJ, NYC

NEW JERSEY (PIX11) — Social media was abuzz Tuesday with reports of a loud boom noise heard in parts of New Jersey and New York City.

NASA’s Meteoroid Environments Office told PIX11 News it estimates that a fireball may have flown about 49 miles above Upper Bay near Greenville Yard in Jersey City. Based on reports filed on the American Meteor Society website, the fireball may have flown at about 34,000 miles per hour, passed over the Statue of Liberty, and disintegrated 29 miles above Midtown, Manhattan.

Bill Cooke, the lead for NASA’s Meteoroid Environments Office, explained that the estimated trajectory of the fireball is still uncertain since it’s based on a few eyewitness accounts. He said it appears that no meteorites were produced by this event.

Fireballs are defined by NASA as a type of meteor that’s exceptionally bright and can be seen over a wide area. They’re rare to see during the day and are not usually large enough to pass through the Earth’s atmosphere. Fragments of fireballs, known as meteorites, can sometimes be found on the ground, according to NASA’s website.

PIX11 News also reached out to the U.S. Geological Survey to inquire about any possible earthquake activity and received the following response:

“The USGS National Earthquake Information Center received reports of shaking in the northeast New Jersey and Staten Island, New York area. An examination of the seismic data in the area showed no evidence of an earthquake. The USGS has no direct evidence of the source of the shaking. Past reports of shaking with no associated seismic signal have had atmospheric origins such as sonic booms or weather-related phenomena.”

A representative from the New York City Emergency Management Office posted on X , saying “NYCEM is aware of these reports. There are no reported impacts to the city at this time.” He assured residents that any emergency alerts would be issued through @NotifyNYC .

The loud boom and shaking were reported across the region, from southern New Jersey to parts of Queens and Brooklyn.

OK #NewJersey what was that boom? People are saying houses were shaking.

@CeliaLauer

Anyone in NJ hear/Feel an explosion?? I thought it was a truck outside but now everyone from north, south, east, west nj are posting about it? Didn’t seem like an earthquake?

@BillyHoward423

I thought a car crashed nearby. Others in my town reporting they heard something too

@mommy2nyc

Long Island City, Queens. It was loud enough and strong enough that we “felt” the concussion. We all turned to each other and said “what the hell was that???”. Can’t remember the exact time… 11ish, maybe.

@andyhoffer718

Did anybody hear an explosion in Brooklyn bride the Verrazano bridge area. I heard a loud boom and now there are tons of emergency response vehicles #NYC #Brooklyn #firstResponders .

@ButlerProfessor

Dominique Jack is a digital content producer from Brooklyn with more than five years of experience covering news. She joined PIX11 in 2024. More of her work can be found here .

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