An explosion at a facility in Humphreys County sent shockwaves across nearby communities late Monday night, with residents miles from the site reporting that their homes shook from the force of the blast.
A Nest security camera at a home in Lobelville — roughly 11 miles from the plant — captured the moment the ground rumbled as the sound of the explosion echoed in the background.
In McEwen, several miles from the facility, people were jolted awake.
Lauren Roark said the impact rattled her entire house.
“It felt like our house had some kind of explosion,” Roark told ABC News. “I jumped out of bed and asked my husband, ‘What was that?’”
The next morning, Roark found what she believes to be debris from the blast scattered across her yard — “big chunks of insulation-looking stuff.” She has reported it to authorities.
Another McEwen resident, Kadi Arnold, said she’s used to hearing controlled blasts from the plant about four miles away — but this one was dramatically different.
“The explosion was so loud and shook my home, I literally thought the back of my house had exploded,” Arnold said.
“Once I realized it wasn’t my home, I immediately knew something terrible had happened at AES.”
Arnold said the shockwave has left the community reeling.
“We’re a pretty tight-knit community and we’re all just devastated and heartbroken,” she said.
Authorities have not yet released additional details about the cause of the explosion or the extent of damage at the site. Residents say they are waiting anxiously for official updates as cleanup efforts and investigations get underway.