After an unexpectedly loud boom from Redstone Arsenal Monday drew widespread attention across North Alabama, installation officials say the biggest lesson was not about the test itself, but about how information is shared with the public when questions arise.
The sound, which was heard as far away as Arab and Eva, came from scheduled testing at the arsenal, though not from the previously announced rocket engine hotfire testing.
Arsenal officials said the noise was louder than anticipated, in part due to atmospheric conditions that allowed sound waves to travel farther than usual.
“We are committed to providing timely and accurate information to our community,” said Amelia Hice, a spokesperson for Redstone Arsenal. “In our haste to be transparent Monday night, we released information that was ultimately incorrect. We should have waited until all organizations had reported in to ensure we had the complete picture.”
Redstone Arsenal conducts a wide range of routine testing as part of its mission in research, development, testing and evaluation, with multiple government organizations regularly operating on installation ranges.
While officials said they could not provide specific details about the type of missile testing conducted due to operational security, Hice emphasized that such tests are not unusual.
“If you follow Team Redstone on social media, you’ll often see people posting from communities well outside Huntsville and Madison County when testing occurs,” she said.
Earlier in the day Monday, Team Redstone had notified the public of planned rocket engine hotfire testing, a familiar rumble for many Huntsville residents. Hice said the community quickly recognized that the earlier announcement did not match the source of the louder boom.
The rumble you will hear today, Monday, January 5 2026 is the sound of rocket engine hotfire testing.
— Redstone Arsenal (@TeamRedstone) January 5, 2026
“I don’t think that announcement caused the confusion,” she said. “Our community is really savvy and knew the sound wasn’t rocket engine testing.”
Confusion increased later in the evening when a statement was briefly posted and then removed, indicating the noise was unrelated to the arsenal. Hice said the message was shared before all tenant organizations had confirmed details and was taken down once it became clear the information was incomplete.
“Our intent was to reassure the public as quickly as possible,” she said. “The rush to get information out was a mistake, and we regret the confusion that caused.”
Despite the misstep, Hice said Redstone Arsenal remains committed to notifying surrounding communities about testing activity and other installation impacts.
“The relationship with the surrounding communities is extremely important to us. Redstone Arsenal wouldn’t exist without their support,” she said. “Our focus now is on improving internal coordination so we can continue to communicate, and do so accurately.”
Hice encouraged residents who hear unusually loud booms in the future to check Team Redstone’s social media channels or the My Army Post App, which provides updates on testing, gate operations and other installation-related information.
Additional tests of the same type were scheduled later in the week, though officials said they did not have immediate information on whether those tests produced similar noise levels.
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