Large booms felt and heard throughout Salt Lake Valley – Here’s what we know
SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — Several Utahns have reported feeling and hearing large booms throughout the Salt Lake valley on Thursday afternoon.
While it may be concerning, Salt Lake County Emergency Management said there is nothing to be concerned about.
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“The loud booms heard in the Salt Lake Valley are from [the] Tooele Army Depot,” SLCo Emergency Management said in a post on X. “They are conducting detonation in the south range and will soon wrap up. No threat.”
The depot regularly conducts detonations throughout the year as part of its routine operations to dispose of expired military operations, according to the Taylors City Police Department.
“The army depot conducts detonations typically from September through the end of October each year,” Taylorsville PD said. “Depending on the weather, the sound and vibrations can carry quite far.”
Video courtesy: Jennifer Madrigal via X.
Reports from Utahns on social media have reported feeling the large booms from Kaysville in Davis County as far as Provo in Utah County. Others reported “at least a dozen” in Cottonwood Heights.
Residents said the booms were strong enough to shake houses and rattle windows.
“It’s LOUD in Cottonwood Heights,” said one Utahn. “All the dogs are barking, buildings shook pretty good. Probably now eight to nine big booms. First ones were massive and each one gets more and more quiet.”
“I live in Centerville and it felt like a semi hit my house,” another Utahn said in response to ABC4. “I didn’t hear much. I grew up hearing sonic booms and didn’t hear anything like that.”
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The Cottonwood Heights Police Department said its 911 system was heavily impacted during the height of the detonations. Emergency dispatch reportedly received 431 calls with more than half coming through the 911 systems within a 20-minute time frame. Cottonwood Heights said those calls do not include the numerous calls made to the city or the school district.
Cottonwood Heights added that they were not pre-notified of any military testing or operations.
The Tooele Army Depot, located on more than 44,000 acres in Utah’s west desert, originally opened in during World War II as a storage depot for war supplies, ammunition, and combat vehicles.
The open detonations reduce the Tooele Army Depot’s unusable munition stocks and free up storage space, which officials previously said improves readiness for the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines. These detonations typically occur between 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
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