People in the downtown area in Forth Worth, Texas became concerned Wednesday when loud booms could be heard and felt during the late morning. There were also some report of clouds of smoke visible in the area.
However, the Fort Worth Police Department said there’s nothing to be alarmed about. The explosions were from SWAT training exercises taking place in the area with the military.
Military training occurring near downtown area. Any explosions being heard are due to this training.
The military exercises were taking place Wednesday at a city facility on the 1000 block of Calvert Street, just north of downtown.
Prior to the police alert, multiple people took to social media saying they heard at least two “explosions” sometime around 11 a.m. local time. Some reported structures shaking around the downtown area because of the explosions.
Looking for the source of what some describe as explosions near downtown #FortWorth
@wfaalauren I’m currently in SW Fort Worth and heard and felt them, my wife in Ridglea Hills heard them as well. Weird.
#Developing: loud explosions heard in area around downtown #FortWorth, possibly west of there. Police trying to figure out source. @KRLD
One faculty member at an area high school said students were in the middle of taking their Practice SAT exams, and the explosions interrupted the testing.
https://twitter.com/LynnLeighKelly/status/918150630958563329
Back in 2011, there were reports of explosions in the downtown Fort Worth area during the evening hours. Those were because of lightning strikes hitting electricity lines and causing the transformers to light up the nighttime sky.
The lightning strike and subsequent explosions lasted for about 25 minutes and left more than 4,000 residents without power.
According to 2016 census estimates, the population of Fort Worth is 854,113, making it the fifth-largest city in Texas.