BOOM?

What was that boom?

v2.1.2

How many times have we all flooded the Facebook group with "DID YOU HEAR THAT LOUD BOOM?!?!" at 8:07 a.m. on a random Tuesday?

BOOM? turns that chaos into a fast, fun, useful live map. One tap to report. Real-time map shows who else heard it. No account needed, no app store download — just open it and tap.

How it works

Hear a boom (or feel a rumble)
Tap the big red button
Your report hits the live map instantly
See if your neighbors heard it too

Common sources

Scott AFB — sonic booms, EOD training, F-15 low passes
Quarries — Hanson and others, scheduled blasts
Thunder — it's the Midwest, it happens
Fireworks — year-round, apparently
Mystery — sometimes nobody knows

Privacy

No accounts, no emails, no sign-ups
No real IP addresses stored — only a salted, irreversible hash for rate limiting
Location is only collected when you actively submit a report, and only with your browser's permission
Locations are fuzzed for privacy — your GPS coordinates are rounded to a ~200-meter area before they appear on the map. Nobody can see your exact house.
No ads, no tracking cookies, no analytics platforms, no data selling
Report locations are displayed publicly on the map as approximate areas — don't submit if you don't want your general neighborhood shown

FAQ

Can I delete my report?: Reports are anonymous — we can't tell which one is yours, so we can't tie it back to you or delete it on request.
How accurate is the location?: Report locations on the map are intentionally fuzzed to about a 200-meter area to protect your privacy. The pin shows your general neighborhood, not your exact address.
Is this just for Collinsville?: Nope — it covers the whole Metro East region: Collinsville, Edwardsville, Belleville, O'Fallon, Granite City, and surrounding areas.
Do you work with police or fire departments?: No. BOOM? is an independent community tool. We don't share data with any agencies.
Why doesn't a boom I heard show up?: We only show what people report. If nobody reported it, it won't appear.

Important notices

BOOM? is not an emergency service. If you hear gunshots, smell gas, or suspect an explosion has caused damage or injury, call 911 immediately. Do not use this app as a substitute for contacting emergency services.

All reports are user-submitted and unverified. BOOM? does not independently confirm, investigate, or validate any report. You may encounter reports that are inaccurate, exaggerated, or submitted as a joke.

BOOM? and its creator are not liable for any decisions, actions, or inactions you take based on information found in this app.

The absence of reports does not mean nothing happened. The presence of reports does not confirm any particular event occurred.

This app is provided "as is" without warranties of any kind. We do our best, but we can't guarantee the app will always be available or that everything on here is accurate. Use your judgment.

By submitting a report, you grant BOOM? a non-exclusive, royalty-free right to display your report data on the public map and in aggregate statistics. Reports are anonymous and cannot be retracted once submitted.

View the Dispatch Log — every update, straight from the tower.

Know someone who needs this?

Built for Collinsville, Edwardsville, Belleville, and the rest of Metro East.

A Rendered Digital community tool. Built by Mark Heinz.