Boom That Shook Brainerd Area Possibly A Meteor

BRAINERD (AP) - Meteorologists say a loud boom that shook the Brainerd lakes area in recent days may have been a meteor.

People on Friday evening reported seeing flashes of light and hearing booms that caused buildings to shake.

National Weather Service meteorologist Kevin Kraujalis says there's been no confirmation of a meteor, but the reports seem consistent with a meteor event. He says there were also reports of meteor sightings the night before in southern Minnesota and northern Iowa.

One couple reported seeing a bright blue light flash across the sky, lasting about four seconds. Other residents reported a flash that lit up their homes, followed by a loud boom a few seconds later.

If there were a meteor, it may have burned up in the atmosphere, or broken into pieces that haven't been found yet. And the boom could have been a sonic boom, which occurs when an object travels faster than the speed of sound.