WEST KENTUCKY— Alarmed community members across the Local 6 Region say they have been frightened by loud booming sounds over the past week, with some even reporting their houses shaking.
On social media, folks from Lone Oak, Reidland, Almo, and other communities have reported hearing the sounds. And Tuesday evening around 8 p.m., two viewers from Calloway County alerted Local 6 to an "extremely loud boom," with one saying it "sounded like a car hit my house."
So, what's causing these jarring sounds, and what should you do if you hear one?
At this point, it's hard to say where the noises are coming from exactly,but officials have provided Local 6 with insight into what they could be from.
A deputy from the McCracken County Sheriff's Office said they hadn't received any official reports of booms recently, though he was aware that community members were talking about them.
He couldn't speculate on what might be making the noises, and said if you do hear one— who you should report it to really depends on what you think the noise might be.
A chat with Keith Todd at the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet didn't uncover what the sound was, but did narrow it down. Todd said the KYTC wasn't conducting any blasting in the area, that he was aware of. But it "could be a sonic boom from jet airplanes, military maybe," he explained. He suggested we call Fort Campbell.
The Fort Campbell Army Base is situated on the border of Kentucky and Tennessee, about an hour and a half southeast of Paducah. The base is home of the Screaming Eagles, the 101st Airborne Division.
Nondice Thurman of Fort Campbell's Media Relations Office told Local 6 she's actually been through something like this before.
According to her, when the temperature is colder and the atmosphere is just right, sound can travel much further than it normally would.
That means loud noises stemming from training at Fort Campbell— and even from the Fort Knox Army Base near Louisville— can reach the Local 6 area. It happened a few years ago, she says.
If you hear a loud, house-shaking boom and you're wondering if it could have something to do with training at Fort Campbell, you can file a noise complaint.
Even if you aren't sure that the noise is stemming from Fort Campbell, Thurman says each noise complaint is looked into— and that could give you some answers.
Thurman said she didn't have specific information about recent training locations and times at the moment, but that she would look into it to see if she could make a connection.
Deputy Dan Galloway of the Calloway County Sheriff's Office provided some insight, too.
He says he actually lives pretty close to Almo, KY, near where two viewers reported that "extremely loud boom" on Tuesday evening.
According to Galloway, Calloway County Fire and Rescue were dispatched Tuesday evening after receiving reports of the boom, which was initially thought to be an explosion.
After searching the area and speaking with neighbors, they weren't able to nail-down where the sound was coming from. But they do think it could have possibly been from exploding Tannerite brand products.
Tannerite Sports, LLCproduces a material — colloquially known as "Tannerite" by many people— that's used in exploding targets for long-range shooting practice.
According to their FAQ page, it's meant to be safe and non-flammable, but can produce a "thunderous boom resembling an explosion."
Galloway says where he lives, farmers often use it to help clear beaver dams from the nearby Rockhouse Creek.
And, he says— some folks just like to shoot it for fun.
He couldn't say for sure that's what Tuesday's boom was from, but he said personally, that's what he thought it was.
He says the sheriff's office will investigate if they receive reports of any other possible explosions or loud booms in the area.
His guess sounds similar to something that actually happened in Lyon County, Kentucky on March 10— the day the Lyon County Sheriff's Office received a complaint about a loud explosion in a neighborhood on 810 North.
Deputies said in a release about the incident that it wasn't the first time they heard complaints like that in this area, with people having previously reported loud explosions during "all hours" of the day and night.
When a deputy arrived, he made contact with a woman who he said was shooting an explosive compound with a high-powered rifle in the residential area, annoying and alarming neighbors.
Having previously been warned by deputies about this conduct, she was charged with second degree disorderly conduct and cited to court.
Right now, the cause of the loud booms remains unclear. Local 6 will continue following this story and will update with new details.
In the meantime, feel free to email newstip@wpsdlocal6.com if you hear a loud boom in your area.
