Bemidji natives reported seeing a "mysterious" flash of light and hearing a loud boom suspected to be a meteor crashing into Earth on Monday evening (November 14). According to CBS News, the supposed meteor flew through the sky around 6:30 p.m., followed by a "boom" powerful enough to shake the windows of residents' homes and rattle their dishes.
The Beltrami County Sheriff's Office took to Facebook to share more information regarding the location of the alleged meteor landing.
"Tonight, the Beltrami County Emergency Communications Center started receiving numerous reports of loud explosion and bright flash in the sky. Initially it was concentrated to Nymore in Bemidji, but additional reports started coming that it was seen, heard and felt across much of southern Beltrami County and even adjacent counties."
County spokesperson Christopher Muller noted that the boom was so loud that it caused his startled pup to run out the door and investigate.
"It shook windows and walls and rattled the dishes. My dog about broke the door down trying to get in who was outside at the time."
WCCO chief meteorologist Chris Shaffer told CBS News that there is a good chance that the suspicious flash of light was in fact a meteor.
"Based on my experience, I've seen a lot of videos over the years, and all the ingredients were kind of there, that you see the flash and hear the boom, and oftentimes when meteors enter our atmosphere that's what they do, they burn up and they can create a sonic boom as well. I checked local radar to see just how close to the surface that might've come and I couldn't pick up anything so it happened pretty high up in the atmosphere."
Information regarding the exact cause of the mysterious flash of light has yet to be revealed.