What was that boom?
Most booms around the Tri-Cities have an ordinary explanation, and they do not sound alike once you know what to listen for. Whether it repeats, whether the ground moved before the sound, and what time of day it happened will usually narrow it down.
If you just heard one, report it and we will compare it against seismic records, 911 dispatch activity, weather and known local sources.
Artillery, demolition and live-fire training carries a long way across open ground, especially from the Yakima Training Center to the west.
An aircraft going supersonic produces a sharp double crack that arrives with no warning.
A failing transformer or line fault makes a single hard bang, often with a flash and a local power cut.
Permitted blasting produces a muffled thump and ground shake that arrives before the sound.
Large shells make a sharp report with an echo, usually in bursts and usually after dark.
A shallow local quake can produce an audible boom along with the shake.
A meteor breaking up in the atmosphere can be heard as a delayed boom, often minutes after a bright light.
A single close strike can sound like an explosion, especially from a storm cell that produces little rain here.
Low or heavily loaded aircraft, including military transports, can produce a startling low roar or bang.
Pressure releases, tank work and similar industrial operations can produce a single sharp report.