Longfellow Boom

The Longfellow Boom is a loud and unexplained phenomenon reported in the Longfellow community of Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States.[1] The booms reportedly generally take place on summer nights, and have been described by residents as "house-shakingly loud" and at lower tone, distinct from a car crash or gunshot.[1][2] Those investigating the booms believe they are mostly likely caused by several types of unrelated human activities, such as fireworks and improvised explosives being lit in the Mississippi River gorge, trains decoupling, and cars backfiring.[3][4]

History

While the phenomenon has been discussed for several decades,[1] a number of explosions in South Minneapolis began to be reported to Minneapolis police in the mid-2000s.[5] Many were attributed to fireworks; however, in 2010, the Third Precinct stated that while fireworks and exploding electrical transformers could account for half of the noises, the others were unexplainable.[5] Originally discussing the phenomenon on the forum E-Democracy.org,[2] locals continue analyzing the topic on Twitter, Reddit, and NextDoor.[1]

Many theories have been put forward attempting to explain the phenomenon but none have been confirmed.[5] Other explanations include train cars coupling, secret NORAD flights, or improvised explosive devices.[6] Another discredited theory, drawing FBI attention, was anarchists preparing for an attack on the 2008 Republican National Convention.[5][1] Sewer issues or a fault line in the Mississippi River have also been posited, as well as extraterrestrial explanations.[1] The neighborhood's proximity to the Mississippi River has also drawn out suggestions that the river causes otherwise-normal sounds to echo differently.[1]

Xcel Energy has stated they have not found outages or equipment problems that correlate with the booms.[1] A project based out of Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport using aircraft noise sensors was also unable to ascertain the origin of the booms. Likewise, the Minneapolis Police Department and Minneapolis Health Department, despite multiple investigations, have been unable to identify the cause.[1]

Loud booms have also been reported in the neighboring cities of Saint Paul and Richfield. In 2024, Richfield police officers arrested a driver who they alleged was lighting off mortars from their car causing loud booms.[7][8]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Snow, Jasmine (July 24, 2022). "Source Elusive for 'Longfellow Boom'". Star Tribune. p. B5. Retrieved December 15, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. ^ a b Evers, Tom (June 1, 2010). "Things that go boom in the night". Twin Cities Daily Planet. Retrieved December 15, 2025.
  3. ^ Tevlin, Jon (June 21, 2010). "Boom Busters go where police, FBI have failed". Minnesota Star Tribune. Retrieved January 14, 2026.
  4. ^ Snow, Jasmine (July 22, 2022). "What is causing the mysterious 'Longfellow Boom' in south Minneapolis?". Minnesota Star Tribune. Retrieved January 14, 2026.
  5. ^ a b c d Von Sternberg, Bob (February 22, 2009). "South Side blasts reemerge, and not all can be explained". Star Tribune. p. B4. Retrieved December 15, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ Tevlin, Jon (June 22, 2010). "Boom Busters go where police, FBI have failed". Star Tribune. pp. B1, B7. Retrieved December 15, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ Mazan, Joe (March 19, 2024). "Mysterious, loud booms being heard in Richfield". KSTP-TV. Retrieved January 14, 2026.
  8. ^ "Loud, mysterious boom puzzles St. Paul residents Sunday nightLoud, mysterious boom puzzles St. Paul residents Sunday night". Bring Me The News. June 10, 2024.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.