By Kristi O’Toole

I can definitely say the booms are truth, maybe a legendary truth, but truth nonetheless. The mysterious booms in South Carolina have many names, such as Skyquakes, Mistpouffers, and Seneca Guns but no one knows what causes them. And today the mystery is back in the spotlight after an unexplained boom rattled the Charleston area in early March.

“My whole house just shook…. anyone else? Weird and heard loud boom on Folly Beach,” wrote one witness on Facebook.

Now this happens where I live in SE KY quite a bit, but it’s attributed to earthquakes. I remember the last one that took place, my windows vibrated and the staircase in the center of the house shook so bad the spindles rattled.The boom and subsequent vibration startled Charleston-area residents around 12:26 pm. By 1:00, witnesses were searching for answers online. Though an earthquake was the most common theory, the USGS website shows no record of a quake. So what was it? The most logical explanation is a sonic boom. After all, a nearby air station did confirm they had F-18 jets in flight at the time of the incident. However, while a sonic boom seems likely, people in the area have reported odd booms as far back as the mid-1800s, well before the invention of modern aircraft.

In 1850, James Fenimore Cooper wrote “The Lake Gun,” a short story named after the odd sounds that emanated from New York’s Seneca Lake. The mysterious sounds continue to this day and are now known as the Seneca Guns. Though the name originated in New York, Seneca Guns has become a catch all term for the strange booms heard up and down America’s East Coast, including South Carolina.

Theories about the source of the booms range from the fascinating to the mundane. Here are just a few outlined on the USGS website:

Shallow earthquakes that are too small to be recorded
Military aircraft and/or submarine activity
Naval guns firing offshore
Top secret military testing
Tidal waves
Landslides off the continental shelf
Pockets of air released from the ground
Methane gas released from the ocean floor
New faults forming
A meteorite exploding in the atmosphere
Cold air slamming into warm air
Indian ghosts … Finally, one that makes sense!

There have been a few reports of aliens being the cause, but it seems to me the poor aliens get blamed for everything anymore. We shouldn’t forget that when earth moves and pulls apart in stretch zones, loud booms are created by the air above the areas slapping together. Most of the mystery booms and rumblings are the result of a tearing or stretching Earth. So, I would advise people living along stretch zones to keep a close check on their homes and on the sinking ground around. You may indeed experience an increase in crack and sinkhole formations.
I know, boring science … So for entertainment value, I’m throwing out the theory that these sounds are the disgruntled complaints of mother nature, she’s none too pleased with the way we’re treating her. At the end of the day you get what you give in this life, and if you love nature she’ll love you back. However, if you use and abuse her, well … you get it.

Next time I’ll discuss the irrefutable link between twins.

Until then, leave the night light burning.

When Kristi isn’t writing for NewzBreaker, she writes supernatural suspense novels having three currently published. If you would like to check out any of her books they can be found online and at other major retailers like Books a Million and Amazon. Never one to rest, she also paints/designs shoes and items for the home. Check out her eBay store, Watered Down Vodka and her FB page.

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