Residents in Pace and nearby communities were rattled awake by a booming noise Thursday morning. Santa Rosa County officials later said the sound came from a steam release at the Santa Rosa Energy Center on Sterling Way and assured the public there was no emergency.
At 6:32 a.m. Thursday, Santa Rosa County Emergency Management posted on Facebook: “Early this morning a steam line was tripped at the energy center off of Sterling Way causing a loud noise to be heard in many places across Pea Ridge, Pace and Milton. Pace and Avalon Fire Departments responded and determined there was no emergency.”
Some social media users also suggested they had heard a similar noise Wednesday morning, though officials have not confirmed that.
The sudden roar left many residents shaken. One person wrote on Reddit: “Heard it at the gas station by the hospital on Berryhill while pumping gas this morning.” Another said: “Woke my whole family up. Was so loud and freaky when you don’t know what’s going on.”
Others turned to humor to capture the surreal experience. “Florida has Kaiju now?!?” one Reddit user joked referring to the Japanese term for giant monster. Another said it sounded like “War of the World's.”
The Santa Rosa Energy Center is a 275-megawatt natural gas-fired power plant that began operating in 2003. It is owned by EthosEnergy Santa Rosa, LLC, a subsidiary of EthosEnergy, which manages and services power plants worldwide. The facility operates as an independent power producer, with utilities such as Florida Power & Light purchasing its electricity.
The plant generates electricity using a combined-cycle system, in which natural gas turbines produce steam to drive additional turbines. Such plants rely on high‑pressure steam systems equipped with relief valves that release excess pressure. While the activation of those valves can create ear-splitting noise, they are designed as safety features to prevent equipment damage.
