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What is that strange sound? | Loud 'hum' heard throughout Charlotte area neighborhood

A mystery is happening in a Huntersville neighborhood when a strange humming noise stumped residents.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A loud "humming noise" that could be heard throughout a Huntersville neighborhood is confounding residents. 

Ryan Beard posted a video from his home's Ring camera that captured this mysterious sound. Beard said he was just sitting in his living room Tuesday night watching TV at around 9:20 p.m. when he heard the strange noise. Beard said the sound lasted only about 10 seconds. 

"I was just like, well, that's weird," Beard said. "And then it continued, and I was like, 'Wait a second, this is crazy.'"

Once the noise stopped, Beard knew he needed to get the video off of his Ring camera

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"Because it was so weird," Beard said. "I have to try to figure out what it was."

Beard said someone on NextDoor replied to his NextDoor video and told him they also heard the same noise Thursday morning. Beard said while he didn't hear it this time, he did pull the video from his Ring camera and sure enough, it was there. 

"It was not as loud and not as long as the first one," Beard exclaimed. "But it was it was there." 

While Beard and his NextDoor neighbors are not experts, that doesn't stop them from speculating on what the noise actually is. 

"There's probably some easy explanation for it," Beard said when asked what he thought the noise was. 

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Some on his post say the sound is "eerily similar" to something out of "War of the Worlds." 

"Like those alien tripod things," Beard said of the sound. "I don't think that's it, but it is crazy." 

WCNC Charlotte's Chief Meteorologist Brad Panovich speculated the sound could be an early growl test of the sirens by Duke Energy. Duke conducted the test the following day, Wednesday, at around 11:50 a.m. 

Colonial Pipeline and Duke Energy have both said they are not responsible for the noise. Colonial Pipeline specifically told WCNC Charlotte they were not doing work at that time that would have warranted that sound. 

WCNC Charlotte also reached out to Piedmont Natural Gas after one viewer suspected the noise could be coming from them. A spokesperson for Piedmont said he checked with several of their supervisors in Huntersville and the surrounding areas, and said "the sound doesn’t appear to be caused by any work we’re doing or by our natural gas infrastructure."

One viewer who also sent WCNC Charlotte the video of Beard's Ring camera said the noise reminds him of another incident that happened back in 2013. WCNC Charlotte reported a strange sound similar to the one Beard captured on his Ring camera. 

What do you think this strange sound is? Let us know! Send us an email at newmedia@wcnc.com.

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