Small meteor airbursts threaten homes

A compact meteoroid (estimated ~1 ton prior to breakup) fragmented over Houston and produced a six‑pound piece that crashed through a house, showing that even relatively small space rocks can produce pressure waves and hazardous fragments that reach inhabited areas. The event included precise telemetry from NASA (altitude, speed, breakup point) and widespread sonic booms reported by residents. — Municipal emergency planning, near‑Earth object monitoring policy, and public warning systems should account for household‑level risk from small meteoroids and short detection windows.