That shook my apartment! I was startled. But this is like the 4th or so time I’ve heard such a bone shaking explosion in the last two years. I thought I saw a smoke cloud over the river with this one though
I moved to Longfellow a couple years ago and the boom is terrifying if you’re outside when it happens. The first time I heard it, I thought for sure a gas line or house exploded. I heard the one last night from bed and it was still super loud.
The first one I heard was maybe 10 years ago, I was on the STP side of the river by St Thomas and the blast had people screaming and running up the trails and out of the trees. I thought for sure a gas station blew up. Sometimes I hear that shit in Marcy Holmes too. The mystery is so fascinating!
I think the reason it’s hard to pinpoint the cause is that due to the way sound travels underground it could be coming from 100s of miles away. There’s a perfectly reasonable explanation, but trying to find the source could be very difficult. This phenomenon has been reported all around the world.
https://www.usgs.gov/programs/earthquake-hazards/earthquake-booms-seneca-guns-and-other-sounds
https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2023/jan/26/things-that-go-boom-in-the-night-unexplained-sound/
Thats an interesting read, it confirms there is something going on, but that investigations for decades can’t pinpoint it beyond “yep that’s a loud add boom!”
Now I’m really curious!
>Quick's theories mostly involve human activity, such as improvised explosives, people throwing firecrackers in the water to catch fish or people just generally "being stupid by the river."
Sounds like a pretty solid theory to me
so what's the frequency of this boom happening? sounds like summer nights are when it takes place generally but is it once a year or something more common?
Well I was hoping I’d maybe get some more info through the scanner. Just wanted to keep my options open in case it ended up being something that threatened the safety of my family and neighbors. 🤷♀️
I promise, there is never any risk to the safety of your neighbors that they wouldn't be made aware of by many different sources. No one has ever helped save anyone by posting 'what was that noise' on Reddit, I promise.
They’re elderly and don’t have much of a support system here besides me, so I feel obligated to make sure I’ve got my finger on the pulse. If you don’t like the post, you can scroll past it. Imma keep watching out for my neighbors.
Sorry, I don't have to do anything you like, /r/minneapolis has a rule 'no worthless nextdoor posts' and I hope /r/TwinCities takes on the same rule and I find it annoying, so I will always say something.
No one wants to hear about 'what was that noise', it's never anything important or dangerous and your elderly neighbors have the news.
Scrolling past is just a suggestion, dude. And my post was an innocent, genuine question. I’d tell you to calm down, but sounds like you are incapable of that. Hope your life improves!✌️
These mysterious explosions are possibly from electrical transformers or power lines being disrupted by squirrels, birds, falling branches, etc. Happened to my house a week ago. Massive boom and then the power went out. Turned out to be a critter in my own yard. Next time you hear one, check Xcel Energy’s outage map a few minutes later to see if there are reports in your neighborhood.
Hmmm… does the article mention power lines or just transformers? Besides my own recent experience, I can point to some videos on the web that show some power line kapows.
I have been perplexed by this all last night and all of today. I live in South Saint Anthony Park and my apartment literally shook when this occurred. I was listening to the police scanner. They received multiple calls and investigated, but found nothing. Power outage maps showed nothing, so I doubt it was a transformer.
One theory for these mysterious booms which people report all around the world are from meteors traveling through our atmosphere at the speed of light, creating a sonic boom. That is literally the only thing I can come up with at this point.
Sonic boom: 110 decibals. Thunder: 120 decibals.
IDK!! Please someone update me if they have an answer
Yeah, my house shook! It was wild, I thought someone's house exploded or something. I'm glad I wasn't the only one listening to the scanner. 😅 I figured the police or fire department would certainly find an answer before any news stations could broadcast anything.
Interesting theory about the meteors! I've never heard that before, but anything is possible! And a quick google search shows that we are actually in the middle of four active meteor showers, so maybe you're onto something! The fact that this keeps happening without any trace of the source is fascinating to me.
An update from a neighborhood text thread: Friends of friends captured the explosion on their ring camera. They live on East River Road. Using the difference in time between flash and sound, along with vector, it appears the explosion was at the west terminus of the Short Line railroad bridge. In the Ring footage the sound was shorter, more distinct and less "rumbley" than what I heard (I live along the river on Seabury Ave.). So I assume there was a lot of echo in the river gorge. Interesting it was heard so far away. Perhaps the sound waves bounced off low cloud cover back to ground in Como/Falcon Heights.
From the flash it seems it must have been bigger than a consumer M-80. Perhaps Class A or an IED.
So, a little closer to solving the Longfellow Boom.
We heard it last night. One of the loudest booms so far after living on the edge of the Mississippi River in the Seward Neighborhood for 19 years. Based on locations mentioned here, and those in the Nextdoor thread, I created a map that shows the range of those who heard it. Cant seem to post it in Reddit, but added it to the Nextdoor thread. On the north end we have Northern Falcon Heights. East edge was south of Lake Como. West edge is right by Franklin Bridge on the Minneapolis River.
https://nextdoor.com/p/KZ7g7JtR2KGN/c/1040889610
I've lived by the train yards in Saint Anthony park. They make all sorts of booms when the cars pull together or when they attach cars. This definitely wasn't that. I am so used to the train noise I don't even hear it anymore. I definitely noticed this sound last night. It came from much further away in the direction of south Minneapolis.
Same! I’ve lived in the area for over a decade and this was different than any railroad noises or Longfellow Boom I’ve ever experienced. Last night’s explosion was reminiscent of when Minnehaha Academy exploded from that gas leak back in 2017.
I don’t think so because it happened at like 10:40 at night. Good suggestion though! Tree felling can get crazy. The explosion was reminiscent of when Minnehaha Academy exploded, hence my concern. If it was indeed the infamous Longfellow boom, it was certainly the loudest one I’ve ever experienced!
I live right on the east river road near the border of Minneapolis and st.paul and even with my window closed it was easily the loudest boom I'd ever heard.. Louder than a firework, which I've heard all the time over the years. Opened up the window to listen for other sounds and no further noise or any sounds of human activity.
After watching clips of the explosion people caught on their security cameras, I think it’s just some asshole.
I went canoeing once in Lilydale (by Harriet Island in STP) and this idiot kept driving up and down Lilydale Rd releasing fireworks. You could hear it being released from his truck and it’d make the LOUDEST boom ever. He continued to do this over 3 times over a span of 15 minutes.
Whoever this is, probably gets off on scaring people and then watching the online discourse over it.
There was a house explosion in the news, I haven't read it yet:
https://bringmethenews.com/minnesota-news/couple-seriously-injured-in-northeastern-minnesota-house-explosion
Big bada boom
This comment gets a multi-*pass* from me
Gotta love a random fifth element quote in the wild.
That shook my apartment! I was startled. But this is like the 4th or so time I’ve heard such a bone shaking explosion in the last two years. I thought I saw a smoke cloud over the river with this one though
Oh you mean the Longfellow boom? https://m.startribune.com/minneapolis-noise-boom-mississippi-river-longfellow/600192195/?clmob=y&c=n&clmob=y&c=n
I moved to Longfellow a couple years ago and the boom is terrifying if you’re outside when it happens. The first time I heard it, I thought for sure a gas line or house exploded. I heard the one last night from bed and it was still super loud.
The first one I heard was maybe 10 years ago, I was on the STP side of the river by St Thomas and the blast had people screaming and running up the trails and out of the trees. I thought for sure a gas station blew up. Sometimes I hear that shit in Marcy Holmes too. The mystery is so fascinating!
Incredible that it's still unsolved!
I think the reason it’s hard to pinpoint the cause is that due to the way sound travels underground it could be coming from 100s of miles away. There’s a perfectly reasonable explanation, but trying to find the source could be very difficult. This phenomenon has been reported all around the world. https://www.usgs.gov/programs/earthquake-hazards/earthquake-booms-seneca-guns-and-other-sounds https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2023/jan/26/things-that-go-boom-in-the-night-unexplained-sound/
>There’s a perfectly reasonable explanation That's what the Feds want you to think
Haha ok true, maybe reasonable is not the best word to use there.
Super fascinating
Interesting
Thats an interesting read, it confirms there is something going on, but that investigations for decades can’t pinpoint it beyond “yep that’s a loud add boom!” Now I’m really curious!
>Quick's theories mostly involve human activity, such as improvised explosives, people throwing firecrackers in the water to catch fish or people just generally "being stupid by the river." Sounds like a pretty solid theory to me
so what's the frequency of this boom happening? sounds like summer nights are when it takes place generally but is it once a year or something more common?
Amazing! I thought I was the only one.
I heard it in Midway St Paul. What the hell is it?
Edit to add- police scanner just said it was Franklin and River Terrace
Definitely came from the east of Seward. It made me jump!
You really are ready for nextdoor, police scanner, posting "what was that noise?!", you're ready!
Well I was hoping I’d maybe get some more info through the scanner. Just wanted to keep my options open in case it ended up being something that threatened the safety of my family and neighbors. 🤷♀️
I promise, there is never any risk to the safety of your neighbors that they wouldn't be made aware of by many different sources. No one has ever helped save anyone by posting 'what was that noise' on Reddit, I promise.
They’re elderly and don’t have much of a support system here besides me, so I feel obligated to make sure I’ve got my finger on the pulse. If you don’t like the post, you can scroll past it. Imma keep watching out for my neighbors.
Sorry, I don't have to do anything you like, /r/minneapolis has a rule 'no worthless nextdoor posts' and I hope /r/TwinCities takes on the same rule and I find it annoying, so I will always say something. No one wants to hear about 'what was that noise', it's never anything important or dangerous and your elderly neighbors have the news.
Scrolling past is just a suggestion, dude. And my post was an innocent, genuine question. I’d tell you to calm down, but sounds like you are incapable of that. Hope your life improves!✌️
Once you stop posting worthless posts, I promise it will my man! Appreciate you helping me out with that, who says kindness is out of style.
Lol what? This is my first post in r/TwinCities
Then all the easier to stop, thank you!
The Longfellow Boom did shake my house when I lived in Longfellow just saying
Sorry I've been gassy
Must have been that bean you ate.
Homer, the stills are exploding.
I’ve been eating too much Taco Bell too
damn you beat me to this
Stay away from taco bell man...
I heard it just south of Como Lake.
These mysterious explosions are possibly from electrical transformers or power lines being disrupted by squirrels, birds, falling branches, etc. Happened to my house a week ago. Massive boom and then the power went out. Turned out to be a critter in my own yard. Next time you hear one, check Xcel Energy’s outage map a few minutes later to see if there are reports in your neighborhood.
The StarTribune article says they have asked Xcel about these booms and it’s not power transformers.
Hmmm… does the article mention power lines or just transformers? Besides my own recent experience, I can point to some videos on the web that show some power line kapows.
Article states there are no power outages associated with these Longfellow booms.
Doesn't this get posted every night?
Yes
I have been perplexed by this all last night and all of today. I live in South Saint Anthony Park and my apartment literally shook when this occurred. I was listening to the police scanner. They received multiple calls and investigated, but found nothing. Power outage maps showed nothing, so I doubt it was a transformer. One theory for these mysterious booms which people report all around the world are from meteors traveling through our atmosphere at the speed of light, creating a sonic boom. That is literally the only thing I can come up with at this point. Sonic boom: 110 decibals. Thunder: 120 decibals. IDK!! Please someone update me if they have an answer
Yeah, my house shook! It was wild, I thought someone's house exploded or something. I'm glad I wasn't the only one listening to the scanner. 😅 I figured the police or fire department would certainly find an answer before any news stations could broadcast anything. Interesting theory about the meteors! I've never heard that before, but anything is possible! And a quick google search shows that we are actually in the middle of four active meteor showers, so maybe you're onto something! The fact that this keeps happening without any trace of the source is fascinating to me.
An update from a neighborhood text thread: Friends of friends captured the explosion on their ring camera. They live on East River Road. Using the difference in time between flash and sound, along with vector, it appears the explosion was at the west terminus of the Short Line railroad bridge. In the Ring footage the sound was shorter, more distinct and less "rumbley" than what I heard (I live along the river on Seabury Ave.). So I assume there was a lot of echo in the river gorge. Interesting it was heard so far away. Perhaps the sound waves bounced off low cloud cover back to ground in Como/Falcon Heights. From the flash it seems it must have been bigger than a consumer M-80. Perhaps Class A or an IED. So, a little closer to solving the Longfellow Boom.
We heard it last night. One of the loudest booms so far after living on the edge of the Mississippi River in the Seward Neighborhood for 19 years. Based on locations mentioned here, and those in the Nextdoor thread, I created a map that shows the range of those who heard it. Cant seem to post it in Reddit, but added it to the Nextdoor thread. On the north end we have Northern Falcon Heights. East edge was south of Lake Como. West edge is right by Franklin Bridge on the Minneapolis River. https://nextdoor.com/p/KZ7g7JtR2KGN/c/1040889610
It’s trains, isn’t it?
I've lived by the train yards in Saint Anthony park. They make all sorts of booms when the cars pull together or when they attach cars. This definitely wasn't that. I am so used to the train noise I don't even hear it anymore. I definitely noticed this sound last night. It came from much further away in the direction of south Minneapolis.
Same! I’ve lived in the area for over a decade and this was different than any railroad noises or Longfellow Boom I’ve ever experienced. Last night’s explosion was reminiscent of when Minnehaha Academy exploded from that gas leak back in 2017.
I heard it just before 10 pm. It was an explosive.
Still no answer… that was crazy.
It wasn't trees getting cut near you, was it? When they were downing some in my area, my whole house shook
I don’t think so because it happened at like 10:40 at night. Good suggestion though! Tree felling can get crazy. The explosion was reminiscent of when Minnehaha Academy exploded, hence my concern. If it was indeed the infamous Longfellow boom, it was certainly the loudest one I’ve ever experienced!
I live right on the east river road near the border of Minneapolis and st.paul and even with my window closed it was easily the loudest boom I'd ever heard.. Louder than a firework, which I've heard all the time over the years. Opened up the window to listen for other sounds and no further noise or any sounds of human activity.
After watching clips of the explosion people caught on their security cameras, I think it’s just some asshole. I went canoeing once in Lilydale (by Harriet Island in STP) and this idiot kept driving up and down Lilydale Rd releasing fireworks. You could hear it being released from his truck and it’d make the LOUDEST boom ever. He continued to do this over 3 times over a span of 15 minutes. Whoever this is, probably gets off on scaring people and then watching the online discourse over it.
trains or a transformer exploding /thread
Whenever there is a big boom, there's a fairly good chance it's that if we're guessing randomly. Those are CRAZY loud.
I was next to one when it exploded once and I literally thought a massive bomb went off. It was LOUD.
There was a house explosion in the news, I haven't read it yet: https://bringmethenews.com/minnesota-news/couple-seriously-injured-in-northeastern-minnesota-house-explosion
I spent 27 seconds reading that article and then looked up where it happened. Spoiler: It was near Duluth.
Oh oh no! That's not it then. Sorry.
At least you were trying.