A boom that sounded like an explosion could be heard from downtown Bloomington Wednesday, but the cause of the sound remains a mystery. Soon Facebook was filled with local residents who also heard the sound and were curious about what caused it. So, far, officials don’t seem to know.
Cordry-Sweetwater Volunteer Fire Department & Ambulance Corps posted the following video recording the sound:
A short time after the sound, the Monroe County Indiana Emergency Management published the following on Facebook:
“Notification: Please be advised that Monroe County Central Dispatch is aware of the loud possible explosion that was heard from many areas within the county. Fire and Law Enforcement Officials are investigating countywide. There have been reports that this event has been heard in surrounding counties. No issues have been found within Monroe County at this time. Please be advised that this was not confirmed explosion!”
A rumor soon began to circulate that an ammo dump was on fire, however, The Bloomingtonian reached out to The Republic newspaper in Columbus, Indiana (a local newspaper that covers Camp Atterbury) and journalists there were not aware of such a fire. Television stations reached out to Atterbury directly, and a spokesperson said they are not responsible for the sound.
Here are links:
A spokesperson at Crane also told WTIU their ammo disposal activities took place after the boom:
Residents from several counties continued to debate online about the cause of the boom, but officials have yet to issue an explanation. Speculative explanations ranged from a meteor to a possible sonic boom from a jet fighter, to a green fireball seen from Kentucky. It should be noted, it’s against the law for a jet to travel over the speed of sound over an inhabited area to create a sonic boom unless it’s the military. One commenter speculated it was simply thunder.
People as far west as Solsberry, all the way up to Johnson County, down to Lawrence county along with people across Monroe County reported hearing the sound.
WRTV published the following Wednesday evening:
