After seeing reports all over social media and getting calls into our newsroom, we’re looking for answers to pass along!
HOUSTON — Did you see, hear, or feel it? We’re seeing reports on social media and receiving calls to our newsroom about a loud boom on Saturday afternoon. Some people describe seeing a possible meteor streaking overhead.
Once we started getting reports about it, we put a post on our Facebook page asking if people had heard or seen anything. And once we did, the reports started pouring in from Katy, Cypress, Hockley, Waller and Pearland to as far away as Navasota, Sealy and even Port Aransas.
Residents said the sound was often accompanied by a low rumble, prompting comparisons to thunder despite clear skies. In Old Katy, Amy Campbell said the boom had a “long low rumble” that sounded like an explosion. Mike Glosson of Cy-Fair said the sound lasted about 15 seconds and shook his house, while Viann Bonoan in Hockley reported that the boom caused her home to vibrate.
Observers in Katy and Fulshear described the noise as resembling thunder but noted the skies were cloudless. Preeti N. Burns said she immediately looked up when she heard the sound, noting there were no clouds in the sky. In Bridgeland, Wendy Camardelle Heppner also said it “sounded like thunder, but clear skies.”
Many witnesses reported seeing a bright streak or fireball in the sky. Patricia Smith in League City described a fireball streaking from south to north, flaming for only a few seconds, with the boom arriving a couple of minutes later. In Richmond, Sadiq Pa said the fireball disappeared almost instantly, and Shylie Troquille in Dickinson saw a small ball of fire in broad daylight that burned out quickly.
Other residents reported similar observations. Mary Conner Williams said she saw a fiery tail near Jasper, while Aleyda Aragon in Pearland noticed flashes of light moving through the clouds. Michaella Cambric-Ellis said she heard the boom as far away as Hempstead, initially thinking it might have been a transformer.
The reports suggest the event spanned a broad geographic area, including Katy, Cypress, Brookshire, Fulshear, Copperfield, Cy-Fair, The Woodlands, Magnolia, Pearland, League City, Dickinson, Friendswood, Sealy, Eagle Lake, East Bernard, Navasota, Port Aransas, Jasper and Bastrop.
We’ve reached out to the National Weather Service and are looking through meteorology sites for answers. As soon as we have some, we’ll post them here.
Got a news tip or story idea? Email us at newstips@khou.com or call 713-521-4310 and include your name and the best way to reach you.