“So Dystopian”: Data Center Makes Noise 24/7 and People Can’t Stand It

Residents and social media users are discussing about a 30-megawatt data center in Southwest Michigan that emits a constant humming noise — day and night. A clip recorded outside the data center by a local resident is going viral after being reshared by @TaraBull on X, offering a brief glimpse of just how loud the sound is. The video appears to capture a continuous humming noise.

The X post notes that the center is located in Dowagiac and affects "approximately 1,300 homes." It also claims a class-action lawsuit has been filed in response to the constant noise. Some residents say the sound is not only bothersome but also causes "headaches and sleepless nights."

Hyperscale Data Is Behind the 30-Megawatt Data Center Making Constant Noise

The data center at the center of the complaints in a Southwest Michigan neighborhood is operated by Hyperscale Data, according to MLive. The news outlet spoke with residents whose home is directly across the street from the facility and who say it sounds like a jet engine.

The data center is located at 415 E. Prairie Ronde St. in Dowagiac, a city with fewer than 6,000 residents. "It's like we're living in a prison in our own yard, in our own house," Marjorie Finn told MLive. She and her husband live across the street from the facility, meaning they hear the noise and can see the facility from their home.

The noise has reportedly gotten so bad that two nearby residents are suing Hyperscale Data, alleging the facility causes "excessive noise" and that they feel they are being "physically invaded" by it. According to MLive, the complaint also claims the sound can be heard through closed windows and over the TV.

"It's (like) a constant major city street where you have a lot of vehicle traffic," Billy Finn told the outlet. What has residents even more concerned is that the facility is reportedly planning to expand to 340 megawatts.

People in the comments of the viral X post didn't hold back after hearing the sound for themselves. "This country has turned so dystopian in just a few years," one person wrote. "If this was a war zone it would be classified as a war crime, this cannot possibly be allowed to continue," another commented.

While one person argued it was "essential" for facilities like this to be located near homes, another offered a possible solution, and wrote, "They need to put a huge sound-proof barrier around the entire building and the data center owner has to pay for it out of their own pocket."

The Daily Dot was unable to independently verify the claims made in the X post regarding the noise levels experienced by residents or the allegations referenced in the lawsuit.