Royal Oak House Explosion Felt in Birmingham
At least one man died after a house exploded near Normandy and Woodward in Royal Oak Wednesday afternoon.
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Birmingham residents heard — and felt — the house explosion in Royal Oak Wednesday afternoon, noting "it sounded like a howitzer."
One man is confirmed dead after a house exploded on Cooper Road, located near Normandy and Woodward in Royal Oak, around 5 p.m. Wednesday.
As of Wednesday evening, police were not sure whether the man who died was in the home at the time or simply near the blast, according to Royal Oak Patch.
Following the explosion, windows were blasted out in nearby buildings and homes. Firefighters from Royal Oak and Birmingham continued to battle bright orange flames into the early evening while news helicopters hovered and police tried to keep the crowds at bay.
"All our neighbors were outside wondering what was going on," Sandy Wood commented on Birmingham Patch. "When everybody said they thought a tree had hit their home, we knew it was something big."
"We Brummies are thinking of our Royal Oak neighbors, and wish them the best," he added.
In Birmingham, the explosion was immediately heard and felt all over town. Residents took to Facebook and Twitter to register their shock and surprise:
- @emilyminor2: "There was a loud explosion sound around the AOL offices a few mins ago. Woodward/Adams area."
- Cathryn Brooks: "I heard at Adams at the Plant Station, thought it was a bomb."
- @phijammer61: "We heard it 16 and Adams. Sounded like a howitzer."
- Linda Everingham Taylor: "We felt and heard it at 14 Mile and Woodward."
- Carolyn Burger: "What just happened — my whole house shook, as did my neighbors. It sounded like a huge explosion. We are on Villa."
To read more, visit Royal Oak Explosion: Residents See 'Roof Blown Off in the Sky' at Royal Oak Patch.
Did you hear or feel the explosion on Wednesday? Let us know what you thought when you first heard the explosion in the comments below.
Correction: An earlier version of this story said the explosion happened on Tuesday. That was a typo since it happened on Wednesday.
Brendan Best
9:03 pm on Wednesday, February 27, 2013
This article said Tuesday - it happened today - today is Wednesday
Laura Houser
9:06 pm on Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Sorry about that Brendan! We just caught it ourselves so thanks for pointing it out. The story has been corrected.
Brendan Best
9:27 pm on Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Thanks - I got really confused temporarily - and started thinking this incredibly happened two days in a row - one of those Twilight Zone moments!
Brendan Best
10:00 pm on Wednesday, February 27, 2013
We heard the explosion - on Smith, near Grant - I thought it might be a blown transformer, although it sounded more like a bomb blast (not that I have heard a live bomb blast other than on CNN); it shook my daughter's windows in her bedroom; my wife, who was in the kitchen, thought my daughter dropped something on the floor.
Yvonne Belletini
8:01 am on Thursday, February 28, 2013
We thought someone hit our house with a car, only to find out all our neighbors had the same feeling. So sad for this man killed and his family.
jrb
8:11 am on Thursday, February 28, 2013
My daughter and I heard the exposion when I was dropping her at Troy Gymnastics (Crooks and Maple). As well did an instructor who peeked outside the gym door to see what the sound was.
Very sad to hear someone died.
Melanie Snyder
9:37 am on Thursday, February 28, 2013
what is a Brummie?
Hartland Smith
10:39 am on Thursday, February 28, 2013
The folks in Birmingham, U.K. call themselves Brummies. I'm sure that's where the term came from.
Hartland Smith
10:33 am on Thursday, February 28, 2013
The folks in Birmingham, U.K. refer to themselves as Brummies. That's undoubtedly where the term originated. Many of them refer to the city as Brummijem. That's my phonetic spelling for how I've heard it pronounced.
Richard Kamp
12:28 pm on Thursday, February 28, 2013
I live in Beverly Hills, west of Greenfield and north of Beverly (Normandy) Road. Our house and windows shook. My initial reaction was I thought a tree may have fallen on our roof due to the recent heavy snow and went outside to check. A few minutes later we turned on the news and viewed the sad aftermath of the explosion.
Maureen
1:45 pm on Thursday, February 28, 2013
My house shook. I thought a tree may have fallen on my house. I live about 1 1/2 miles away-14/Bates. I drove by today to leave flowers for the man that passed away. I couldn't get near the home but the man that lives across the street said he would get them as close as he could. He was not allowed to go back home until some time today. It was pretty sad to see the amount of destruction to not only the home but all those around it. I hope everyone else is safe. To the man's family: so sorry for your loss.
Karen Bloomer
7:43 pm on Thursday, February 28, 2013
I am from Los Angeles I have been through major earthquakes, this felt like a strong tremor at my home in Birmingham at Lincoln and Adams. It blew the fate on my 6 foot wood fence open!