A loud explosion sound heard in the Washington, D.C. metroplex area, and areas as far east as the Eastern Shore of Maryland, and west as Manassas, Virginia, was a military aircraft.
The City of Annapolis Office of Emergency Management reported that the boom was in fact caused by an authorized DOD flight.
"The loud boom that was heard across the DMV area was caused by an authorized DOD flight," the office said. "This flight caused a sonic boom. That is all the information available at this time."
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The DOD did not immediately respond to inquiries from Fox News Digital about the incident.
Rumors began circulating on social media at about 3:15 p.m. on Sunday of a loud explosion heard across Washington, D.C.
One user posted, "Did anyone feel that explosion in #DC," with another person responding, "All the way out in Prince George’s too," referring to a nearby county in Maryland.
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Another Twitter user posted, "Did you feel what felt like an explosion! I’m thinking #sonicboom, but from what? I’m just South of Bowie. If you felt it, tell me where you did. Thank you."
A user on the Eastern Shore in Queen Ann’s County, just across the Chesapeake Bay from Annapolis, reported the explosion.
The hashtag #explosion trended on Twitter Sunday afternoon as reports of the sound poured in.
"As explosion dissipated, I heard a plane heading over Chesapeake Bay. Estimated altitude 25,000 ft with contrails. No reports. Did anyone hear this," the user asked.
"I live on the Eastern Shore and it shook my house," another user responded. "Thought there was an explosion somewhere. Scary."
