A football-sized meteorite tore through the roof of a Texas home on Saturday after breaking off from a one-ton meteor that blazed across Houston at 35,000 mph, leaving a gaping hole in the ceiling and sending shockwaves across the region.

Fireball Blazes Over Houston At Staggering Speed

The meteor ripped through the sky over Houston in mere seconds on Saturday afternoon, traveling at a staggering 35,000 miles per hour. A three-foot meteorite broke off just 29 miles above Bammel, Texas, creating a pressure wave that produced loud booms heard throughout the area, according to NASA’s official confirmation. The breakup scattered meteorite fragments across a 20-mile stretch between the Willowbrook and Northgate Crossing neighborhoods, pelting the Houston metro area with space debris.

Frazzled residents initially thought the pressure wave was an explosion. The Brenham Fire Department rushed to Highway 50 after multiple witnesses reported seeing a green flash fall from the sky, black smoke, and hearing a thunderous boom. First responders found no evidence of an explosion at the scene and could only speculate about a possible meteor at the time.

Homeowner Discovers Unusual Rock Inside Home

Sherrie James, a homeowner in Ponderosa Forest roughly 20 miles outside Houston, made a startling discovery when she found an unusual rock inside her home near a gaping hole in both her ceiling and flooring. Fire department officials told local media the rock was likely part of the meteor that soared over Houston, especially since no construction or trees were near her home that could explain the damage.

Growing Pattern Of Meteor Activity

The American Meteor Society collected more than 100 reports of the fireball event, which NASA later officially confirmed as a meteor. This incident follows another meteor that exploded over Ohio just last week, sending sonic booms that could be heard as far away as New York. The meteorite that broke through James’ home was barely longer than a standard baseball bat, yet it carried enough force to punch through her roof and create significant structural damage. NASA continues to track and analyze meteor activity across the United States as these celestial events become more frequently reported by citizens.