<p>Wailing sirens. </p>

<p>Examples <a href="https://youtu.be/Z_bueA1XQqg?t=2m33s" rel="noreferrer">1</a>, <a href="https://youtu.be/yAun0cs_cGc?t=28s" rel="noreferrer">2</a> where you see people come running out, i.e. exactly when you'd expect sirens, or <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86QMhxHd404" rel="noreferrer">3</a>, or <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4RxFFX_f1II" rel="noreferrer">4</a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGanqZJ-Pz8" rel="noreferrer">5</a> where they are explicitly mentioned.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-09-21T14:26:30.690Z
2017-09-21T14:26:30.690Z
Jan Doggen
<p>In most of the earthquake footages filmed outside during the earthquake that hit Mexico City on September 9, 2017 there was a distinctive streak of hum in rapid succession that could be heard in the background. It sounded like someone is constantly hitting the tuning forks onto a light tower like 2 times per second.</p>

<p>You can find <a href="https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=mexico%20city%20earthquake%20footage" rel="nofollow noreferrer">numerous footages on youtube</a>, but I picked one and fetched the audio portion covering the hums, you can listen to the audio <a href="https://soundcloud.com/fahadash-1/sound-of-earthquake-in-mexico-9192017" rel="nofollow noreferrer">at this link here</a> (sorry I did not know how to upload an audio to SE).</p>

<p>Here is the waveform of the sound</p>

<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/g1zK8.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/g1zK8.png" alt="Mexico City Earthquake Waveform"></a></p>

<p>What is that sound? What is causing this sound? If this was buildings or surrounding objects, why is there a pattern? Why is this sound heard in every footage no matter where they are filmed as long as they were filmed outside.</p>

<earthquakes>
What is that spooky humming sound heard in earthquake footages?
fahadash
# What is that spooky humming sound heard in earthquake footages?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2017-09-21)

In most of the earthquake footages filmed outside during the earthquake that hit Mexico City on September 9, 2017 there was a distinctive streak of hum in rapid succession that could be heard in the background. It sounded like someone is constantly hitting the tuning forks onto a light tower like 2 times per second.

You can find [numerous footages on youtube](https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=mexico%20city%20earthquake%20footage), but I picked one and fetched the audio portion covering the hums, you can listen to the audio [at this link here](https://soundcloud.com/username_0-1/sound-of-earthquake-in-mexico-9192017) (sorry I did not know how to upload an audio to SE).

Here is the waveform of the sound

[![Mexico City Earthquake Waveform](https://i.sstatic.net/g1zK8.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/g1zK8.png)

What is that sound? What is causing this sound? If this was buildings or surrounding objects, why is there a pattern? Why is this sound heard in every footage no matter where they are filmed as long as they were filmed outside.

**Tags:** earthquakes


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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2017-09-21. Score: 8 | Accepted answer

Wailing sirens.

Examples [1](https://youtu.be/Z_bueA1XQqg?t=2m33s), [2](https://youtu.be/yAun0cs_cGc?t=28s) where you see people come running out, i.e. exactly when you'd expect sirens, or [3](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86QMhxHd404), or [4](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4RxFFX_f1II) and [5](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGanqZJ-Pz8) where they are explicitly mentioned.


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