‘I thought it was thunder:’ Suspected meteor shakes Newton County, alarms residents across the southeast

This is a developing story. Updates will be released as made available.

Update  #2 (4:15 p.m.):  The National Weather Service, Peachtree City, has released information on Facebook regarding the possible meteor spotted over multiple states today.

“It appears that either a meteor or space junk crossed the skies of north GA just before 12:30pm,” the service posted. “Numerous reports of an earthquake came in shortly after followed by sightings and video of a flash across the sky seen as far away as Macon and Upstate South Carolina. That earthquake you felt was the result of the sonic boom from the meteor or space junk.”

Due to the “fireball” nature of the sightings and resulting ground shaking, most authorities are presuming that the object was a meteor. No confirmation of landing location has been made available.

The Facebook post further confirmed that the Henry County Emergency Management Agency is looking into the report of minor home damage from the possible meteor.

According to their post, a resident initially attributed the ground shaking to an earthquake, as did many other people across the southeast. They alerted authorities that a “rock” had fallen through their ceiling around that time.

“We are presuming that a piece of the object fell through their roof,” the National Weather Service, Peachtree City posted. “Henry County EMA reports that the object broke through the roof, then the ceiling, before cracking the laminate on the floor and stopping.”    

Update  #1 (3:00 p.m.): Meteorologist Keith Stellman with the National Weather Service, Peachtree City posted on Facebook that it is possible a small piece of meteorite damaged a home in Henry County. 

“Update: it appears a small piece of it fell through a roof of a home In Henry County. We are speculating that is the case based on the time it occurred and the result of the hole in the roof,” Stellman posted.

The Covington News has not yet been able to make contact with the Henry County Emergency Management Agency for comment.

The News has also reached out to the Newton County Emergency Management Agency for any local impacts, but have not heard back.

Original Story

Newton County residents were among thousands across the southeast caught off guard when the ground shook in an earthquake-like manner around noon today.

Experts are pointing to a probable meteor visible over much of the southeast and landing somewhere in South Carolina, resulting in the shaking.

Reports are coming in about possible landing sites being investigated, but no confirmed location has been released. 

Covington residents were among the thousands in Georgia, the Carolinas and the surrounding southeast who were shocked to see what appeared to be a ball of fire jetting across the sky around noon on Thursday.

The United States National Weather Service for Charleston, S.C. posted on Facebook confirming the reports of the sighting.

Many reports of a #fireball across the Southeast U.S. It is not certain, but the satellite-based lightning detection shows a streak within cloud free sky over the NC/VA border, over Gasburg, VA. This streak was detected between 11:51 to 11:56 am.

The sighting was further confirmed by the Newton County Sheriff’s Office, which released dash camera footage of the South Carolina skyline.

“Our agency received a notification from the National Weather Service stating it was likely a meteor, and they believe more could possibly be on the way,” the office posted to Facebook. “At this time, we do not have any information on where the meteor may have landed. If we receive any additional updates, we will share them with our community.”

Facebook and other social media were flooded with inquiries about the shaking ground, a loud boom and the mysterious sighting. In the local Facebook group, “Covington GA Living,” hundreds of area residents compared experiences, with several musing if it had been thunder.

“Uh… did we just have an earthquake??? Loud rumbling & it shook my windows bad,” wrote Kortnie Wingate. 

“Saw something with fire trailing minutes before the sound,” commented Keith Davis. “Left smoke trail in sky.”

The sheriff’s office said that it is not immediately clear if more fireballs could follow.The Covington News has not received reports of additional sightings as of yet.