UTAH (ABC4) – Did you hear a loud boom today? You’re not alone.
Residents reported hearing loud booms while witnessing their homes shaking throughout the Salt Lake Valley.
ABC4 can confirm it’s not an earthquake shaking up residents or a military attack targeting Utah residents.
Luckily, your home and your family are not currently in danger. The booms were actually caused by a planned military exercise.
The Tooele Army Depot has been conducting routine detonation exercises. The exercises run annually and this year, it’s scheduled to commence anytime between the period of April 1 to Oct. 31, 2022.
Local residents near the detonation site may hear loud booms and experience shaking. The exercises are permitted to run anytime between 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. with weather permitting.
“Open Detonation limits the handling of excess munitions and explosives, helping to protect local residents and employees from injury or damage due to explosive safety risks,” says the agency. “Safety is the most important consideration. Strict observance of proven OD procedures has resulted in an excellent safety record being earned by the personnel who have helped to destroy the many millions of pounds of obsolete or unstable munitions safely over decades at numerous Department of Defense (DOD) installations.”
The Tooele Army Depot is a U.S. Army post that serves as a storage site for war reserve and training ammunition.
