Since Monday evening, residents from nearly all areas of Citrus County have felt tremors (lichte aardbeving) that shook homes and caused concern.

The cause of the tremors remains a mystery, said Citrus County Emergency Management Director Joe Eckstein.

Temors were still being felt in Homosassa and Floral City late Wednesday afternoon.

“One lady (early this week) said the dishes in her house were shaking on her shelf … The chandelier was shaking. It didn’t last long.”

The sheriff’s office received about 20 initial reports of similar incidents from around Citrus County that happened between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. Monday. The only area where residents had not reported tremors before Wednesday is Homosassa.

“It’s been all over the county,” he said. “There were also reports from Marion County residents from Monday evening.”

When Eckstein sent out e-mails to agency employees and other contacts in Citrus County earlier this week, he received about another 10 or 15 responses from people saying they felt the tremors too.

Most of those who contacted the sheriff’s office up until late Wednesday afternoon reported tremors that happened Monday but a few said they felt them Tuesday and Wednesday, he said.

No earthquakes have been recorded and Eckstein said they’ve looked into whether the tremors could be related to mining activites or a military bombing exercise but have no indication if those are possible causes.

“Everything’s come back negative. It’s just weird,” he said. “Everybody’s kind of clueless.”

No damage has been reported. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s geological department is investigating the matter and is interviewing people from Citrus County who experienced the tremors, Eckstein said.

UPDATE, March 12

All the rumbling, rattling and sonic boom sounds Citrus County residents and others experienced this week are being blamed on military aircraft flying over the Gulf of Mexico.

“We can confirm it is the military running missions out there,” Citrus County Emergency Management Director Capt. Joe Eckstein said Thursday.

Earlier in the week, Eckstein said military activity was ruled out as the reason for the commotion, but he said Thursday that it was a mistake caused by a miscommunication with officials in Tallahassee.

Although these kinds of military exercises have been going on for years, Eckstein said he is being told that because of El Niño, the sonic boom of F-22 aircraft is being pushed in this direction by strong winds.