Here's What's Behind Those Mysterious Sounds In East Hampton

EAST HAMPTON, CT — "Noise and shaking" were reported in East Hampton Wednesday morning.

The town reported that following checks, officials "attribute the situation to the 'Moodus Noises.'"

These noises are related to earthquakes that "emanate from an area south of the Salmon River that have been ongoing for centuries," according to a Facebook post from the town.

These "strange rumblings, thunderings, and crashings...seem to originate somewhere around Mount Tom, located in what is now Machimoodus State Park," according to Atlas Obscura.

As the town noted, reports of the mysterious sounds dates back centuries. "Native Americans called the area Machimoodus, which means 'Place of Bad Noises,'" according to Atlas Obscura. "They attributed the noises to a god named Hobbamock or evil spirits. English colonists later associated the noises with witches or the Devil."

Since then, science has found that these are actually minor earthquakes at the lower end of the Richter Scale.