Did you hear loud boom in Conway area? It wasn’t a plane crash. Here’s what it could be
Hundreds of people in the Conway area reported hearing a loud boom Sunday afternoon that shook homes and caused some to run out of their houses trying to figure out what it was.
The boom happened about 3 p.m. along Highway 378, near the Conway-Horry County airport, according to those on social media.
Mikayla Moskov, spokesperson for Horry County, said by text that Horry County Police also saw the social media posts, but “when officers were sent to check the general area of any sign of activity, we did not find anything one way or the other.”
Moskov said no formal report was filed.
Some people posted that it sounded like a plane crashed or a bomb went off. One person claimed they heard the loud boom as far away as Socastee, while others heard it along Highway 90.
Residents said this wasn’t the first time such a loud explosion has been heard in the area over the years.
Horry County Police on occasion will detonate ordnances that have been located in the Conway area or elsewhere in Horry County. If the ordnance needs to be detonated, police will post a “noise notice” on its social media page. However, that did not happen in this case.
Those who commented suggested that it could be someone using Tannerite, a brand of binary explosive targets used for firearms practice.
The targets comprise a combination of oxidizers and a fuel, primarily aluminum powder, that is supplied as two separate components that are mixed by the user. When shot with a high-power rifle, it produces a water vapor and a thunderous boom resembling an explosion, according to the product’s website.
The use of Tannerite is legal. There have been previous reports across South Carolina about the use of the blasting agent and reports from residents about the loud blast.
It’s unclear if that is what happened along Highway 378, but the reports are similar.
Depending on how much Tannerite is used, it could create a loud boom that can be felt and heard, officials have said.
