Loud Scary Noises Reported in Downtown Rochester Near Mayo Clinic

I was scrolling through Facebook and saw a post from someone asking about an explosion in downtown Rochester near Mayo Clinic. I was immediately concerned because I know how many people work in that area. I have a great view of the downtown area from my office so I peaked out to see if there was mass chaos. Everything looked normal. I asked my news team if they had heard anything about an explosion - They hadn't.

A little while later, I saw another Facebook post from someone asking if anyone had heard what sounded like a jet taking off in the downtown area. I didn't hear anything, but something was obviously going on, so I did a little more research and found out exactly what was causing the unusually loud noises.

Loud Scary Noises Reported in Downtown Rochester

The loud noises are definitely happening. According to the Employees of Mayo Facebook page, the loud noises are coming from the Franklin Heating Station.

On their Facebook page they shared the details,

If you're in downtown Rochester Wednesday through Friday, you may hear brief but loud noises coming from the Franklin Heating Station. Teams are activating a new boiler, which will lead to brief steam blows as the boiler heats up to build pressure. The procedure will blow out any small particles in the boiler and steam line to avoid damaging other equipment before it goes online. The particles will be captured before leaving the smokestack. The steam blows will be loud, despite the use of a silencer. The work will adhere to the city of Rochester's noise ordinances.