On Thursday, numerous reports of fireball sightings emerged across the southeastern United States, with over 140 observations documented by the American Meteor Society. These sightings were recorded in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee.
Dashcam and home security footage captured the dramatic events, including a notable incident in Batesburg, South Carolina, on June 26, 2025. In northern Georgia, residents reported feeling an earthquake followed by a bright flash in the sky. The National Weather Service in Peachtree City confirmed that a citizen in Henry County experienced damage when what appeared to be either a meteor or debris struck their ceiling around that time.
“It appears that either a meteor or space junk crossed the skies of north Georgia just before 12:30 PM,” said the National Weather Service. “That earthquake you felt was the result of the sonic boom from the meteor or space junk.”
Images of the damage in Henry County, Georgia, were shared on social media by the National Weather Service. Meanwhile, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) reported detecting multiple bright flashes using its lightning flash tracker during the day. One particularly vivid flash was noted between 12:21 PM and 12:26 PM ET, just south of Atlanta, coinciding with the fireball sightings.
NOAA’s Satellite and Information Service also noted a quick flash event near the Virginia-North Carolina border on Thursday. The agency explained that its lightning mapper is capable of detecting bright meteors, or bolides, as they traverse the atmosphere.
Following the influx of fireball reports, the National Weather Service in Charleston, South Carolina, indicated that satellite-based lightning detection registered a significant streak visible in the clear sky near the Virginia-North Carolina border on the same day. This story is ongoing, and updates will be provided as more information becomes available.