Did you hear a thundering “boom” this morning in Knoxville? Thousands of people were jolted awake early March 16 by a loud crack that shook homes.
Despite the shaking, there was no earthquake in Knoxville on Monday, according to the United States Geological Survey. There haven’t been any earthquakes since Feb. 25, when a small 2.1 magnitude quake rumbled just after midnight.
The earthquake-like sensation happened during severe thunderstorms rippling through East Tennessee overnight. When thunder and lightning erupt near a building, it’s possible the sound waves could shake and rattle a house, according to the National Weather Service.
It’s a phenomenon known as “explosive expansion” that occurs when a hot strike of lightning heats the air, causing it to expand so rapidly that it compresses the air in front of it, forming a shock wave similar to a sonic boom, according to the National Weather Service.
The National Weather Service forecasted that gusts of wind up to 65 miles per hour were possible in the storm. A severe thunderstorm warning was in effect from 3:20 to 4:15 a.m.
The National Weather Service shared reports of downed trees in Knox County and around 7,697 Knoxville Utility Board customers were without power.
Newfound Gap Road/U.S. 441 through Great Smoky Mountains National Park remains closed to traffic due to the poor weather and high winds.
Are earthquakes common in Tennessee?
Small earthquakes are fairly common in East Tennessee. Significant earthquakes are extremely rare in Tennessee.
There were 151 earthquakes in 2025, for example, according to USGS data, and 177 earthquakes in 2024.
So far in 2026, there have been 34.
Knoxville weather radar
Allison Kiehl covers trending and breaking news from Knoxville for the Tennessee Connect Team. Email: allison.kiehl@knoxnews.com
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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Was there an earthquake in Knoxville? Why you may have heard a ‘boom’
