The unexplained “booms” that shook homes and rattled nerves across portions of the High Desert last week were not caused by blasting operations at the two quarries in Apple Valley.
Residents in parts of Apple Valley, Adelanto, Barstow, Helendale, Lucerne Valley and Victorville said they heard and felt “ground-shaking sonic-booms” on Thursday and Friday.
Apple Valley Councilman Art Bishop and his wife, Kathy, were among the many people who said they felt and heard “booms” that felt like earthquakes.
The Bishops told the Daily Press that they felt “five strong booms” that shook their home and rattled their windows.
Many took to social media to speculate on the sound and vibrations, with some claiming they were earthquakes, gunshots, blasts from nearby quarries, or fireworks.
The U.S. Geological Survey reported no significant earthquake activity in the area over the last week.
Councilman investigates
Art, who lives in north Apple Valley, said he decided to investigate the source of the “mysterious booms” after he received many calls from concerned residents.
Art said on Friday, he visited one CEMEX quarry on the north side of Apple Valley to see if perhaps the “blastings” were the source of the sounds.
“The people at the quarry told me that there were no recent blasting operations at either CEMEX quarry,” Bishop told the Daily Press.
Aircraft testing?
The Bishops, along with dozens of other residents, theorized that the sonic booms could have been caused by military aircraft flying over portions of the Mojave Desert.
Some speculate the booms were caused by aircraft testing conducted by Edwards Air Force Base, located west of the Victor Valley.
As of Sunday, Edwards Air Force Base officials have not responded to inquiries about aircraft operations that could cause sonic booms.
In April, NASA completed test flights over and around Edwards Air Force Base on its one-of-a-kind X-59 QueSST aircraft, which includes technology to fly supersonic, or faster than the speed of sound, without generating loud sonic booms.
The testing included NASA surveying people and asking them to respond when the X-59 flies overhead and creates “quieter sonic thumps.”
X-59 test runs over the High Desert were conducted on April 10 and 14, with the aircraft reaching new altitudes and speeds, reaching 43,000 feet and also 528 to 627 mph.
Contacting Gov. Newsom
One Helendale resident took to Facebook to share that they emailed Gov. Gavin Newsom about the sonic booms they claim came from Edwards Air Force Base.
The resident is requesting the military to reduce the levels of sonic booms, which they claim were on the verge of damaging windows and/or the structural integrity of homes in Helendale.
In 2025, Newsom congratulated Lockheed Martin’s famed Skunk Works facility in Palmdale on their work to make the X-59 a reality, the Daily Press reported.
“Manufacturing continues to be foundational to California’s economic growth — creating good-paying jobs and shaping the industries of the future,” Newsom said in a written statement. “This competition, and the Lockheed Martin Skunk Works X-59, is evidence that the country’s top talent and innovation is in California.”
Unexplained booms, rumbles, vibrations
Mysterious and unexplained booms, rumbles and vibrations have a history in the High Desert.
Unexplained loud “rumbles” on Jan. 8, 2026, rattled homes and properties across the High Desert, from Apple Valley to Lancaster, and Barstow to Oak Hills.
In November 2025, unidentified “boom” sounds shook homes and rattled nerves across the High Desert, the Daily Press reported.
At that time, some speculated the boom sounds came from “rocket testing” at Edwards Air Force Base.
In February 2025, Phelan residents reported a “boom” sound that shook homes and scared animals and people, according to the Daily Press.
In January 2024, Apple Valley residents reported nightly sounds of unidentified and mysterious “explosions,” or “loud booms,” that shook homes and rattled nerves, the Daily Press reported.
In April 2016, High Desert residents reported loud booms and shaking, but no evidence of an earthquake or other abnormal activity was reported, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
In April 1943, “A mysterious explosion” shook homes in Lucerne Valley. No one was able to explain the source of the sound, leaving the entire community “baffled,” the Daily Press reported.
This story is developing and will be updated as more information becomes available.
Daily Press reporter Rene Ray De La Cruz may be reached at RDeLaCruz@VVDailyPress.com. Follow him on X @DP_ReneDeLaCruz
This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: What’s behind unexplained ‘booms’ in California High Desert?
Reporting by Rene Ray De La Cruz, Victorville Daily Press / Victorville Daily Press
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