Meteor above New England created loud boom that rocked parts of region: NASA
People in Massachusetts reported hearing a loud boom Saturday afternoon, but it’s not immediately clear what it was. At approximately that same time, NOAA’s GOES-19 weather satellite Geostationary Lightning Mapper showed a burst over the Massachusetts coast. (NOAA)
(NEW YORK) — New England residents were rocked Saturday after a fast-moving meteor in the Earth’s atmosphere sent a loud boom that was heard in parts of the state.
NASA told ABC News in a statement that the meteor, also known as a “fireball,” was detected around 2:06 p.m. and was traveling at a speed of 75,000 mph.
“The meteor appears to have fragmented at an altitude of 40 miles over northeast Massachusetts and southeast New Hampshire. The energy released at breakup is estimated to be equivalent to about 300 tons of TNT, which accounts for the loud noise,” NASA said.
A NASA spokesperson said the fireball was not associated with any currently active meteor shower but said it was a natural object and not space debris or a satellite re-entering the atmosphere.
NASA later said it “was a daytime bolide that produced” meteorite fragments that fell “in the middle of Cape Cod Bay.”
Several people took to social media in the afternoon to post videos of the sound heard throughout the eastern part of the state.
“We are getting numerous reports from residents of hearing a loud boom sound. It was heard over the eastern part of the state. Unknown origin no reports of hazards at this time,” the Watertown Police Department said in a statement.
The Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety and Security said in a statement they also received similar reports of “an audible boom and ground tremors.”
At the time the agency issued its statement, it said there were no known emergency, police or fire requests connected to the boom and there was not believed to be any public safety threat.
The United States Geological Survey said Saturday evening that the boom was from a suspected bolide, which is the scientific term for a meteor that explodes in the atmosphere.
“Unlike earthquakes which occur at discrete location in the earth, sonic boom events occur along a linear path in the atmosphere,” the USGS said.
ABC News’ Matthew Glasser contributed to this report.
First responders at the scene of a deadly car crash in Grand Junction, Colorado, on Aug. 9, 2026.(Grand Junction Police Department)
(NEW YORK) — Five 17-year-old boys died when their vehicle went off a cliff in Colorado and crashed, authorities said.
The crash occurred in a residential area of Grand Junction late Saturday, according to the Mesa County Coroner’s Office.
Police and fire personnel responded shortly before 8 a.m. local time Sunday to a report of a possible vehicle that drove off the edge of a cliff in the 2000 block of Lookout Lane, according to the Grand Junction Police Department. They located the crashed vehicle on the hillside, police said.
All five victims were pronounced dead at the scene, authorities said.
“Initial investigation indicates the vehicle was traveling southbound on Lookout Lane when it veered off the roadway and down the steep incline of the hillside,” the Grand Junction Police Department said in a release on Sunday.
Speed is being considered as a factor in the crash, which remains under investigation, police said.
First responders from multiple agencies worked to recover the bodies from the crash site. All five teens died from injuries sustained in the crash, the coroner’s office said in a statement Monday.
The driver, front seat passenger and a third occupant were wearing their seatbelts, while the two other occupants were not and were ejected from the vehicle, according to the coroner’s office.
The teens were residents of Grand Junction, according to the coroner’s office, which did not publicly identify them, citing a policy not to release the names of minors.
“Our hearts are heavy following the tragic losses this weekend,” the police department said.
Severe, damaging thunderstorms targeted parts of the Southeast on Saturday, with more severe weather possible on Sunday.
Several homes were damaged due to fallen trees in Rogersville, Tennessee and the community of Persia, Tennessee, and injuries were reported. In North Carolina, Fayetteville Airport reported a 72 mph wind gust from thunderstorms.
On Sunday, a level 2 out of 5 “slight risk” for severe weather is in effect for parts of Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina, including Atlanta, Savannah, Columbia, Charleston and Charlotte.
Damaging winds and flash flooding are the main threats, but some hail is also possible.
The same “slight risk” for severe weather exists Sunday in parts of Montana, including Great Falls and Butte. Damaging winds and large hail are the main threats with storms later today in the area.
While portions of the Southeast faced severe weather for the first part of the holiday weekend, it’s important to note that overall, much of the country is experiencing quiet conditions weather-wise for the Labor Day holiday weekend.
For the Labor Day holiday on Monday, there is no organized severe weather threat as much of the country continues to enjoy rather tranquil weather. Some areas could still see scattered thunderstorms which could bring lightning, gusty winds and downpours in spots.
Triple-digit heat scorches the Southeast
Dangerous heat persists for millions as the holiday weekend continues, with more than 40 million Americans under heat alerts Sunday from Kansas to Georgia.
Heat indices are soaring into the triple digits across this large swath of the country later Sunday afternoon.
Cooler and more comfortable conditions continue to settle in for much of the Northeast and will do the same farther south along much of the East Coast later Sunday.
Afternoon high temperatures will be in the mid-80s in Washington, D.C., Sunday and in the 70s in New York City Sunday and on Monday.
Raleigh, North Carolina will see highs decrease to the mid-80s Sunday after a long stretch of brutal heat.
However, parts of the Plains and South will remain very hot through the new workweek. An Extreme Heat Warning remains in place for Kansas City through Tuesday. Highs will be in the mid-90s each day, with feels-like temperatures up to 105 degrees during the afternoon.
Flash flood threat
On Sunday, the potential for flash flooding returns to parts of the Southwest, with a level 2 of 4 risk over parts of southern Nevada, northern Arizona and Utah.
This includes many national parks in Arizona and Utah on Sunday, including Grand Canyon National Park, Zion National Park and Bryce Canyon National Park, all which recently experienced significant flash flooding impacts from monsoon storms.
A Flood Watch has been posted for Sunday across portions of Utah, including Cedar City, Beaver Richfield and Price, as well as Zion National Park and Bryce Canyon National Park.
While the threat is not as widespread and intense as the previous event, scattered thunderstorms later in the day could bring downpours and frequent lightning. Flash flooding is possible where the heaviest rain develops.
Any burn scar areas from recent wildfires in Utah and Arizona will be especially vulnerable to any heavy rain that falls on Sunday.
Tropical storm warning issued for parts of Hawaii
Hurricane Lowell and Tropical Storm Karina will bring high surf impacts to the Hawaiian Islands through the holiday weekend, while Lowell is expected to bring heavy rain to Hawaii.
The National Weather Service issued a tropical storm warning for Kauai County on Sunday, saying tropical storm conditions were expected for Kauai Northwest Waters, Kauai Windward Waters, Kauai Leeward Waters and Kauai Channel on Monday morning and lasting through Tuesday afternoon.
Lowell has weakened slightly back to a Category 3 hurricane, with maximum sustained winds of 125 mph. It’s moving to the north-northwest at 6 mph with the center currently located roughly 600 miles southwest of Honolulu.
Lowell is forecast to remain a major hurricane over the next 24 hours but a weakening trend is expected to take over as it continues its turn to the north. The tropical system is still forecast to pass west of the main Hawaiian Islands late Monday into Tuesday.
Lowell is already bringing high surf to the south- and southeast-facing shores of the islands. A High Surf Advisory in effect for waves up to 12 feet along these shorelines.
While landfall is not expected, some of the outer bands of Lowell could impact the western Hawaiian Islands early this week.
Herd of cows on the field (Kinga Krzeminska/Getty Images)
(WASHINGTON) — Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins confirmed the detection of New World screwworm in a cow in Texas after the U.S. Department of Agriculture warned Wednesday that the parasitic fly may have arrived in the mainland U.S after moving north from countries in Central America and Mexico, which have been dealing with an outbreak in livestock since at least 2022.
Rollins said that the screwworm was detected in a three-week-old bovine in Zavala County, Texas. According to the Department of Agriculture, the larvae were identified in the animal’s umbilical area, and said that, so far, “there have been no further detections” of the screwworm in the U.S.
“USDA and Texas Animal Health officials are taking immediate action to contain and eradicate NWS from the area,” Rollins added. The Department of Agriculture confirmed that they formed a unified Incident Command Team with the Texas Animal Health Commission and is deploying personnel to the area.
New World screwworm (NWS) is a species of parasitic flies that feed on live tissue — typically livestock. Human infections are quite rare and U.S. health officials have previously noted the risk to public health is very low but spread to livestock could decimate the cattle industry.
The name refers to the way in which maggots screw themselves into the tissue of animals with their sharp mouth hooks, causing extensive damage and often leading to death.
In August 2025, the U.S. reported the first human case of NWS in the country in an international traveler. The individual recovered and there was no evidence of further spread.
Screwworm was largely eradicated in livestock for decades in the U.S. through a technique in which male screwworm flies are sterilized and then released into the environment to mate with females until the population dies out. The U.S. officials are currently releasing 100 million sterile flies a week in the U.S. and Mexico.
Since eradication in 1966, the flies have been spotted domestically in isolated outbreaks through the American southwest in the 1970s and the Florida Keys in 2016.
People who travel to outbreak areas, spend time among livestock animals, sleep outdoors and have an open wound are at greater risk of becoming infested with screwworm, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes.
According to a press release from the Department of Agriculture, actions will include a 12.5-mile “infested zone” around the detection area, along with quarantines, movement controls and additional surveillance.
The department also said it would expedite the targeted release of sterile New World screwworm files from the ground, a tactic that was used successfully to stop the 2016 outbreak in the Florida Keys. The department said this would be in addition to the 4 million sterile flies per week currently being released by air in the area.
Earlier on Wednesday, Rollins assured Americans that the “food supply is 100% safe” amid potential disruptions to the U.S. cattle supply due to NWS.
