Meteor Shakes Cleveland and Northeast Ohio, Heard Across Multiple States

A significant meteor event rattled residents across Cleveland, Ohio, and extending into several other states on Tuesday, March 17, 2026. The event, characterized by a loud boom and a bright fireball, has been confirmed by NASA to be caused by a roughly 6-foot-wide asteroid weighing approximately 7 tons.

What Happened?

At approximately 8:56 am EDT, a meteor entered the Earth’s atmosphere, creating a spectacular fireball visible from at least ten states – Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Novel York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Virginia – as well as Washington D.C. And Ontario, Canada. The National Weather Service (NWS) initially responded to reports of a loud boom in northeast Ohio, and subsequent analysis pointed to a meteor as the likely cause.

The Boom and Its Cause

The asteroid “unleashed an energy of 250 tons of TNT when it fragmented, resulting in a pressure wave which propagated to the ground, causing the booms and explosive noises heard by many of the public,” according to NASA. The NWS in Cleveland used Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM) imagery to support the meteor explanation, noting that meteors can appear as lightning-like flares in the atmosphere. The GLM detected a strike over northeast Ohio coinciding with the reported boom.

Witness Reports and Impact

Numerous eyewitnesses reported the event on social media, with some describing the boom as exceptionally loud. Reports came from as far west as Avon, Ohio, and extended into western Pennsylvania. NASA confirmed the meteor was first visible at an altitude of 50 miles above Lake Erie and traveled south at approximately 45,000 MPH before fragmenting roughly 34 miles over Valley City, north of Medina.

No Injuries or Significant Damage Reported

As of Wednesday, March 18, 2026, officials have reported no injuries or structural damage resulting from the event, although some residents reported houses and buildings being rattled by the shockwave.

Key Takeaways

• A meteor caused a loud boom and bright fireball over Cleveland and the Northeast Ohio region on March 17, 2026.
• The meteor was an asteroid approximately 6 feet in diameter and weighed around 7 tons.
• The event was witnessed across at least ten states, Washington D.C., and Ontario, Canada.
• No injuries or significant damage have been reported.

Sources: National Weather Service, AP News, Willmar Radio, WTOL