HERNANDO COUNTY, Fla. – A Tampa construction company uncovered a World War II-era bomb near Brooksville-Tampa Bay Regional Airport, according to the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies said the decaying Mark 65, 1,000-pound bomb was found just before 3 p.m. Tuesday as construction crews were helping build a new technical college near the airport.
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Out of precaution, the sheriff’s office said they evacuated an area of about half a mile and closed many roads.
The Hernando County Sheriff’s Office asked the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office Bomb Team and a squad from the MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa to investigate the threat.
Upon further investigation, crews determined the bomb was inert.
According to Brooksville-Tampa Bay Regional Airport’s website, the airport was a former World War II military airfield that trained pilots and ground crews during the war. Operations began in November 1942 with the arrival of the 1st Bomb Squadron. The 9th Bombardment Group used the airport for training on B-17 Flying Fortresses and B-24 Liberators.
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