Mystery Booms & Skyquakes — 2014 Worldwide Timeline of Unexplained Loud Booms

What was that boom? If a thunderless blast shook your windows and rattled your bones in 2014, you weren’t alone. Residents around the world reported unexplained loud booms—often called skyquakes—that set off car alarms, sent pets into hiding, and left officials scrambling for answers.

What causes “mystery booms”?

• Icequakes (cryoseisms) during rapid deep freezes
• Shallow earthquakes & rock fracturing
• Meteors & sonic booms (fireballs, fast jets)
• Military / police training & industrial incidents

How to tell what you heard

• Series of cracks in intense cold: frost quakes likely.
• Single jolt + felt quake on USGS/EMSC: earthquake boom.
• Windows rattle, clear sky, no thunder: sonic or industrial blast.

Methodology: We prioritize official advisories, USGS/NWS data, local outlets, and verifiable user videos.

Loud Booms 2014

• Bingham County, ID – December 22-28, 2014: Riverside’s residents report mystery booms and rumblings powerful enough to shake their homes on Sunday, December 28, 2014. Second blast within one week after that experienced by many of Groveland and Riverside residents on Wednesday, December 24, 2014. Idaho State Journal
• Rhode Island – December 8, 2014: Strange noises from West Warwick to Coventry, rattling homes and cars. Turn to 10
• September Loud Booms Compilation. Strange Sounds
• Mississippi loud booms and explosions. Strange Sounds
• Roanoke Island – North Carolina – July 22 2014. Mystery booms and floating orbs related to army training? Outer Banks Voice
• July Earthquake Booms and skyquakes Compilation. Strange Sounds, 1
• Auckland, New Zealand – June 17 2014: Army jet sonic booms and bombs.Stuff.co.nz
• June Explosions, Rattles and Loud Rumblings. Strange Sounds
• May Mysterious Booms Compilation. Strange Sounds and a live report from Florida. Strange Sounds
• April: The Mysterious Berlin-Wedding Skyquakes. Strange Sounds
• Aberystwyth, UK – March 13: Mysterious Booms and Rumblings Related to US Army Flight Training Sonic Boom DailyMail
• February to March Mysterious Explosion Compilation. Strange Sounds
• ‘Loud booms’ in Kentucky – January 19 2014 A series of ‘loud booms’ late on Saturday night have been a cause for concern for local communities. Nothing visible to indicate a problem at this time but the source of the booms remain unknown. – KFVS12
• Colbert County, Alabama – January 16 2014: Several people, myself included are hearing loud booms in Florence, Killen and Rogersville. – WHNT
• Edison, New Jersey – January 15 2014: The loud booms widely reported in south Edison were the result of State Police bomb squad training. – NJ.com
• Jan 10 — Georgetown, SC (USA): Neighborhoods experienced house-shaking booms; no definitive source identified.
• Jan 8 — NE Alabama (USA): A loud explosion and ground shaking reported across several towns.
• Jan 7 — Colonial Heights, VA (USA): Residents heard repeated mystery booms; investigations followed. WTVR
• Jan 6 — Hidden Valley Lake, IN (USA): Loud booms & shaking attributed to frost quakes amid extreme cold. FOX19
• Jan 3 — Dufferin County, ON (Canada): An ice quake blamed for a widely heard boom. Orangeville
• Jan 2 — Marion County, MS (USA): Earlier mysterious explosions received an official explanation. WDAM
• Jan 1 — Eastford, CT (USA): New Year’s Day mysterious shakings drew local attention. Fireworks?
• Jan 1 — Canton, NY (USA): Reports of a strange noise/boom—likely a cryoseism during the cold wave. NCPR
• Jan 1 — Cranston, RI (USA): Police exercise confirmed as the source of loud booms. Cranston Online

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Report a 2014 boom we missed

Did you hear a mystery boom in 2014 that isn’t listed here? Drop it in the comments or send us a report with time, location, weather, directionality, and any audio/video. The more data points, the better our community can identify patterns.

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