After going to bed rather early last night, sometime before 11, I heard and felt what sounded like a violent clap of thunder, followed by a roar like a freight train. That first loud noise shook the house. The roar that followed continued the shaking. Dishes rattled. Pictures on the walls vibrated. The sound was exceptionally loud. I got out of bed to explore.
At first, I thought the roar might be a tornado. But the sound and the attendant vibrations did not change in volume or tenor. I then thought the noise might be caused by military aircraft practicing night maneuvers. After ten or fifteen minutes more of the sound, with no change, I abandoned that theory. I had nothing to replace it, though. I was baffled.
My wife heard the same sounds, of course, and went about exploring. She went outside to determine whether there was anything that might explain the noise. It remained a mystery.
After a while longer, the noise diminished ever so slightly, so I decided to return to bed. After almost an hour, I got up again and checked online news feeds. Finally, I learned that the noise was the result of the rupture of a thirty-inch gas pipeline. I estimate the pipeline, located off of Glazy Peau Road and Highway 7 North, is roughly two miles from us. Residents within a one mile perimeter were evacuated. They have since been permitted to return. Apparently, there was no fire, just a rupture. And the gas was under such enormous pressure that, once the line ruptured, the escaping gas caused the deafening noise.
Maybe I’ll learn more today. If I do, I’ll return here and update the post. I’m writing this only to record the events of last night.
Linda, it sounded to me like it was very close by, like it was caused by something just outside my line of sight. And, I guess, it was.
I heard the same thing. No trees were shaking, so I quickly discounted the thought of a tornado. I couldn’t find out last night what it was, so I’m happy you posted this. My husband heard nothing, slept right through it. I have often told him that if anyone would save us from something it would be me. I knew it was an explosion of some kind, but didn’t know where, and I felt the house shake. Thanks for the info.