Skyquakes. Mistpouffers. Seneca Guns. The mysterious booms in South Carolina have many names, but no one knows what causes them. And today the mystery is back in the spotlight after an unexplained boom rattled the Charleston area.

“My whole house just shook…. anyone else? Weird and heard loud boom on Folly Beach,” wrote one witness on Facebook.

“The whole restaurant here at Shem Creek just shook! Earthquake?!,” wrote other.

The boom and subsequent vibration startled Charleston-area residents around 12:26 pm. By 1:00, witnesses were searching for answers online. Though an earthquake was the most common theory, the USGS website shows no record of a quake. So what was it?

Continue reading →