So, I was just chillin’ at work and all of a sudden I thought we were having one of those mild California earthquakes. (You know, the little 3.0 baby quakes that do nothing more than make people think they’re experiencing vertigo or that they may still be hungover even after the seventeen glasses of ice-cold Coke.)
Then I was jolted back to reality when I remembered that I’m not in California anymore, Toto. WTF? And then there was a disturbing sound much like that of a large truck smooshing into another large truck. Definitely not an earthquake. (Personally, I thought there was someone on the roof, like maybe, Santa or something and that the sound was the sonic booms from Santa’s bitchin’ new jet that he uses since he dumped the stanky reindeer.)
Anyhoo, I trolled around the local news outlets and found out that I wasn’t hallucinating, having a flashback or experiencing a profoundly painful hangover. Here’s the story from the local TV news.
Big Boom Shakes Houses Along the Coast
Dec 21, 2005, 10:37 AM EST
DECEMBER 21, 2005 — What’s being described as a big boom shook houses along the coast late Tuesday afternoon. Phone calls started pouring into the WECT newsroom shortly after 4:00, with people questioning what the noise was.
The boom could be felt from Ogden to Carolina Beach and in some cases Brunswick County. Some people described it as a loud bang. Others say it was like several explosions. They say their windows rattled and homes shook under the force.
WECT called 911 centers around the area. There were no reports of any accidents or damage in relation to the bangs. Officials at the nuclear power plant didn’t report any problems either. Right now, authorities are just not sure what caused the noise.
One theory is a natural phenomena called Seneca Guns. It’s never been fully explained but people along the coast have talked about it for centuries. Some say the sound originates when chunks of the continental shelf drop into the Atlantic Ocean.
It doesn’t just happen along the coast. In fact, the name comes from Seneca Lake in New York where the big booms have been heard for years.
Five years ago, the Seneca Guns fired here. A scientist from UNCW said the rumbling came from the ocean, and there were various theories but no rock solid explanation. He said there was nothing to worry about. It was just noise. No one was hurt then and no damage was recorded.
Some other theories to explain Tuesday afternoon’s boom are methane gas exploding on the ocean floor, an atmospheric event or a sonic boom. WECT also received several calls about jets racing through the sky. Local military officials wouldn’t comment.
Imagine that! The Seneca Guns all the way down here in North Cakalacky! Wonders never cease! I needed more info so I found this story too…
The Mysterious Booms on the North Carolina Coast
Ka-razee place I live in. Ka-razee.
