The Palm Coast Fire Department said crews responded when a caller “reported multiple pieces of ice scattered across the roadway, with one striking a neighbour’s home.” The incident occurred in the Seminole Woods neighbourhood of Palm Coast under clear sunny skies, in temperatures of 75 degrees.

Upon arrival firefighters discovered the ice had punched a large hole in the metal roof and found remnants of ice inside the living quarters.

The Palm Coast Building Department inspected the damage and determined the house was safe to occupy.

The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office said it was investigating the origin of the ice and has contacted the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for assistance in determining its source, including the possibility it may have fallen from an aircraft.

While rare, incidents of ice falling from the sky do occur. Aviation expert Shem Malmquist said these events, though uncommon, happen more frequently than many people realise. “The area under the mast can develop a ball of ice, and at certain points – that can just dislodge and fall,” Malmquist said. “It happens a few times a year.”

An FAA spokesperson explained that water leaks can occur on aircraft, forming ice on the exterior. As the plane descends and temperatures rise, this ice can melt and detach.

“When the FAA gets reports about such incidents, the agency tries to determine whether the ice could have come from an aircraft and then identify aircraft potentially involved,” the FAA told FOX 35.