Sonic Boom In The Bay Area? Residents Report Shaking, Loud Noises

BAY AREA, CA — Bay Area residents took to Twitter Thursday night to report what sounded to some like a sonic boom.

Some said their houses shook. Others reported hearing an explosion-like noise or a loud boom. Some speculated that the sound may have been the result of a meteor.

One Twitter user said the phenomenon occurred around 7:20 p.m. Most of the reports appeared to be coming from residents of Santa Clara and Santa Cruz counties.

OK, unfortunately the time lapse makes it really hard to see on video, but I got some stills of what I think was a meteor that could be seen to the South from the Bay Area:@NWSBayArea https://t.co/Zn4SmDkZFT pic.twitter.com/ojY30Z60vO
— Gabe (@925mlbfan) May 14, 2021

The National Weather Service's Bay Area branch said it was aware of the social media reports, but did not see or hear anything unusual from its Monterey office. Thick clouds hanging over the office, however, would have obscured anything in the sky, NWS said.

A spokesperson from the North American Aerospace Defense Command confirmed there were no security threats in the area.

Just heard a pretty big boom in San Jose. Shook the house. Was two booms together, reminded me of the space shuttle sonic boom.
— Crosspatch (@VictorB123) May 14, 2021

NWS said it will continue to monitor and look into the reports.

Did you hear or feel the phenomenon? Comment below with your experience and where you live.