Loud Boom Heard Across Region

File photo

A loud boom was heard through the Newtown area and the Philadelphia region Sunday evening.

Residents reported that the boom was loud enough to cause homes to shake when it hit around 8 p.m. LevittownNow.com and NewtownPANow.com readers reported hearing the boom in Bristol Borough, Bristol Township, Bensalem, Camden County in New Jersey, Doylestown, Horsham in Montgomery County, Langhorne, Middletown, Northeast Philadelphia, Tullytown, Upper Makefield, and Warrington.

Bucks County dispatchers confirmed getting reports of the boom from around the central and lower end of the county.

Several local emergency officials said they were unclear of what caused the noise.

There was no initial data to indicate any seismic events in the region.

Forecasters at the National Weather Service were not immediately available for comment on any possible cause.

Users on social media said the boom could have been from a passing aircraft or a reported gas explosion in Lower Merion in Montgomery County.

A spokesperson from North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), which monitors airspace in North America through a partnership between the American and Canadian armed forces, said U.S. Northern Command had no reports of any sonic booms in the region.

Lower Merion police Captain Frank Thomas said there was a report of a house explosion in the 600 block of Dodds Lane, about 25 miles from the area. KYW Newsradio confirmed with authorities that there was an explosion and noted it could be related to the boom.