COLUMBIA, MO. (THECOUNT) — Missouri officials are trying to determine exactly what caused a loud boom and shaking Monday that was widely reported by people around Columbia, Boone County and as far away as Hannibal.
ColumbiaPD let the public know that they were aware of the mystery boom via Twitter:
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@ColumbiaPD: Columbia Police, Columbia Fire and Office of Emergency Management is aware of the loud “boom” in the Columbia area. Agencies are currently working to determine what caused the noise.
ABC17 says that their newsroom started receiving a barrage of calls before 11 a.m. reporting the loud sound and subsequent shaking.
Tom Hurley, deputy director of the Boone County Office of Emergency Management, said 911 dispatchers have received numerous calls of a loud boom from a “geographically diverse area,” but could find no incidents in Boone County.
“Our office, working closely with Joint Communications, will continue to monitor this event,” Hurley wrote in an email.
ABC17 said they received calls from Columbia to as far away as Hannibal. Hannibal is a city on the Mississippi River in northeast Missouri. The Mark Twain Boyhood Home and Museum is where the American writer grew up, and displays artifacts such as his typewriter and writing desk. The Mark Twain Cave Complex served as inspiration for his novels. Completed in 1900, Rockcliffe Mansion features art-nouveau decor and antique furniture. The Mark Twain Riverboat offers trips on the Mississippi, according to Wikipedia.
The Columbia Police Department could find no evidence of any explosion or indications of what caused the noise Monday morning, spokesman Jeff Pitts said. Officials are contacting the FAA to see if the federal agency has more information.
An FAA spokeswoman told ABC 17 News there was “nothing out of the ordinary” to report from central Missouri. ABC 17 News has contacted the public affairs office at Whiteman Air Force Base to see if the sound is tied to that facility and is waiting for further information.
Developing.