Strange sonic boom rattles South Carolina

What sounded like a massive explosion rocked Midlands of South Carolina on May 28, 2026, around 5 p.m. local time. Even though people reported shaking, the USGS said there was no earthquake. Instead it said a sonic boom rattled the area. But what was the source? Image via USGS.

Strange sonic boom rattles South Carolina

Around 5:30 p.m. local time, residents of Midlands of South Carolina reported hearing an immense boom. At first, people took to social media wondering if they’d just experienced an earthquake. But the United States Geological Society (USGS) was quick to respond, reporting that it was a sonic boom that shook the air instead of an earthquake that shook the ground. It said the magnitude of the event was 0.0, so definitely not an earthquake.

People shared video from an airport and Ring doorbells on social media that captured the sound and rattling of buildings. Some even reported feeling the pressure wave. Meteorologist Chris Jackson was in South Carolina at the time and said:

It felt like someone shoved me right in my chest an instant before the boom began.

See the sonic boom rattle an airport hangar in this X post.

And here’s another video from outside an airport that recorded the sonic boom.

What was it?

Could it have been an aircraft that created the sonic boom? Possibly, but at the moment there is no one taking claim as the source of the explosive sound.

A more likely possibility was that it was a meteor. But there haven’t really been reports of anyone seeing a meteor. Granted it was daylight at the time, but often with big meteors they still leave a trail in daylight. The American Meteor Society has not received an onslaught of sightings, anyway. You can see the pending reports here.

One possible eyewitness was Aaron Olson in Columbia, South Carolina. Aaron posted on X:

I noticed some odd contrails immediately following the boom too. Sort radiating from a common point. Lends itself to a meteor explosion.

And this doorbell camera appears to show a trail from a meteor. Look for it in the upper right. It resembles an airplane’s contrail.

Did you hear the sonic boom? Let us know in the comments below.

Bottom line: People in South Carolina heard a strange sonic boom on the evening of May 28, 2026, around 5:30 p.m. local time. The USGS said it wasn’t an earthquake. Could it have been a meteor?

Read more: Meteor shower guide 2026: Up next … the Arietids

The post Strange sonic boom rattles South Carolina first appeared on EarthSky.

from EarthSky https://ift.tt/l4zNg02

What sounded like a massive explosion rocked Midlands of South Carolina on May 28, 2026, around 5 p.m. local time. Even though people reported shaking, the USGS said there was no earthquake. Instead it said a sonic boom rattled the area. But what was the source? Image via USGS.

Strange sonic boom rattles South Carolina

Around 5:30 p.m. local time, residents of Midlands of South Carolina reported hearing an immense boom. At first, people took to social media wondering if they’d just experienced an earthquake. But the United States Geological Society (USGS) was quick to respond, reporting that it was a sonic boom that shook the air instead of an earthquake that shook the ground. It said the magnitude of the event was 0.0, so definitely not an earthquake.

People shared video from an airport and Ring doorbells on social media that captured the sound and rattling of buildings. Some even reported feeling the pressure wave. Meteorologist Chris Jackson was in South Carolina at the time and said:

It felt like someone shoved me right in my chest an instant before the boom began.

See the sonic boom rattle an airport hangar in this X post.

And here’s another video from outside an airport that recorded the sonic boom.

What was it?

Could it have been an aircraft that created the sonic boom? Possibly, but at the moment there is no one taking claim as the source of the explosive sound.

A more likely possibility was that it was a meteor. But there haven’t really been reports of anyone seeing a meteor. Granted it was daylight at the time, but often with big meteors they still leave a trail in daylight. The American Meteor Society has not received an onslaught of sightings, anyway. You can see the pending reports here.

One possible eyewitness was Aaron Olson in Columbia, South Carolina. Aaron posted on X:

I noticed some odd contrails immediately following the boom too. Sort radiating from a common point. Lends itself to a meteor explosion.

And this doorbell camera appears to show a trail from a meteor. Look for it in the upper right. It resembles an airplane’s contrail.

Did you hear the sonic boom? Let us know in the comments below.

Bottom line: People in South Carolina heard a strange sonic boom on the evening of May 28, 2026, around 5:30 p.m. local time. The USGS said it wasn’t an earthquake. Could it have been a meteor?

Read more: Meteor shower guide 2026: Up next … the Arietids

The post Strange sonic boom rattles South Carolina first appeared on EarthSky.

from EarthSky https://ift.tt/l4zNg02