Explosion at fertilizer plant north of Waco, Texas

[Geoff_M]

Regarding fertilizer "bombs". IIRC, ammonium nitrate fertilizer isn't explosive by itself... But if primed by another explosive or fire it can explode violently. The OKC bombing was a mix of fertilizer and fuel oil set off with detonators. Texas is also home to the worst fertilizer explosion ever... The Texas City (Galveston) Disaster.

In 1947 a freighter full of fertilizer docked in the harbor caught fire. People came to watch the fire department battle the blaze. In an effort it suppress the fire, the ship opened valves to dump steam into the cargo holds. The hot steam had the effect of making the fertilizer more unstable and after some time the cargo exploded with amazing force. The ship's two-ton anchor was found a mile inland. 500 people died... Many were never found as they were vaporized. The shock wave was felt 100 miles away and it looked like an atomic bomb had hit the city.

 

[RadioNate]

News this am seems to be better. Less deaths than thought at least.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

West is a wonderful little town. It has a strong Czech influence and makes fabulous kolaches, just as a previous poster said. Each year, they have a polka festival called West Fest with wonderful food and drinks as well as music and dancing. It's a great town. This is terrible news. A girl in my bible study sent out a message to all of us asking for prayers because her friend's mother lived in the nursing home by the plant and is currently unaccounted for. Just terrible all around.

Sorry for you news.

However thank you for the description of the "West Fest". My parents would love that. Let's just say my yrs growing up included "Roll Out the Barrel" and other assorted songs played on the accordion.

In regards to the tragedy, just sad. I saw it happening on the news last night. Very sad.

 

[Thundergod]

Having worked in an Anhydrous Ammonia plant for 5 years and working next to an Anhydrous plant for the last 15 let me say this.

It takes Methane gas to make Anhyrous Ammonia. It's converted in an "ammonia Loop" at pressures of over 3000 psi.

That being said, Anhydrous Ammonia plants are large facilities and it's really hard to tell if this is a place that actually makes Anhydrous Ammonia or if it's a batch plant or maybe just a terminal used by farmers.

If it was a terminal you have the potential to have dry urea fertilizer there as well. As you all probably know if you have dry urea fertilzer then the potential for this type explosion is increased.

If this was indeed a Anhydrous Ammonia plant it would have looked like a small refinery to people. Did this place have towers like a refinery? I could not tell.

If it did not then I would make this guess. this is a terminal that likely had Anhydrous shipped in. And the place likely had dry urea which is why you see the fire turn into a major explosion

 

[penn19]

Our local DFW news station was reporting looters last night. Sometimes you see the good in people and then sometimes the bad comes out.....

 

[Thundergod]

this is a photo of an Anhydrous Ammonia plant.

 

[Liberty Belle]

Our local DFW news station was reporting looters last night. Sometimes you see the good in people and then sometimes the bad comes out.....

That's disgusting and shameful. I'm not going to give them another thought, now, and instead focus on the helpers. The good people.

I recently watched a video about the Boston bombing. A reporter asked EMTs what was the best thing they saw and they all said "the helpers." Strangers ran in to the area to help those most critically hurt. Strangers with no medical training. They just wanted to help in any way they could. That's what I'm going to think about. It helps me.

Here's the video, if anyone is interested who hasn't seen it: http://www.cnn.com/video/?hpt=hp_t2...boston-surgeon-ran-marathon-served-in-war.cnn

 

[Liberty Belle]

this is a photo of an Anhydrous Ammonia plant.

Can't see it, Thundergod. Maybe it's just me, though. ETA: Nevermind, I see it now.

 

[LongLiveDisney]

I live in Texas a few hours from Waco. This is so terrible.

 

[Buckalew11]

Praying for Texas. Scary stuff going on. I'm sure this is having a big effect at my husband's job (FF/para) today.

 

[Uncle Remus]

The local stations are reporting 50-60 houses obliterated and it's now a search and rescue. This explosion registered as a 2.1 magnitude earthquake. It definitely felt like that at my house, I can't even imagine how it felt in West. .

 

[Liberty Belle]

The local stations are reporting 50-60 houses obliterated and it's now a search and rescue. This explosion registered as a 2.1 magnitude earthquake. It definitely felt like that at my house, I can't even imagine how it felt in West. .

I feel so bad for the poor people nearer to the explosion, but I'm very glad you're ok. Talked to my friend this morning and she said the same, heard it and felt it, but all in her circle are ok.

 

[Jennasis]

This reminds me of the fireworks plant explosion WAY back on Long Island (in the 80's?). Such destruction.

I'm trying not to think this way but there is a nagging in the back of my head that wonders if all of this craziness over the last couple of days (Boston, the ricin letter the plant explosion) are related.

 

[Liberty Belle]

This reminds me of the fireworks plant explosion WAY back on Long Island (in the 80's?). Such destruction.

I'm trying not to think this way but there is a nagging in the back of my head that wonders if all of this craziness over the last couple of days (Boston, the ricin letter the plant explosion) are related.

I'm trying to stay open-minded. I think it was probably an accident, but if someone were aware of the dangers, they possibly could have started a fire there. Seems that way, anyway.

 

[Geoff_M]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ROrpKx3aIjA&feature=share Here is a video of it actually exploding.. its not bad at first.. 29 seconds in you'll jump

That video is heart-wrenching with the kid repeating "I can't hear!" after the shock wave hit their truck.

Given the "dad" commenting on the video that he expects the storage tank to "collapse" at any minute, I wonder if what happened was a form of "BLEVE" (boiling liquid expanding vapor explosion) explosion. These can also turn a "normal" industrial fire into a major violent explosion. Here's a BLEVE from a rail car containing propane.

 

[ManyMinnie]

UR ~ what the h*** is going on? I'm freaking out ...this is some type of small area ground war fare going on.... I came home from a PTA meeting and my daughter told me "plant in Texas on fire"....okay.. and she was right! Bomb?

This was no accident?

Fertilizer is *highly* flammable.

I'm betting this was nothing but a horrible, horrible industrial accident.

 

[Uncle Remus]

I feel so bad for the poor people nearer to the explosion, but I'm very glad you're ok. Talked to my friend this morning and she said the same, heard it and felt it, but all in her circle are ok.

You know our little communities down here, everyone is joining together to assist in any way necessary to help. These situations never weaken us, they only serve to strengthen us.

And yes, I thought about you and your friend last night since we're all connected somehow, glad to hear she's alright.

 

[Thundergod]

That video is heart-wrenching with the kid repeating "I can't hear!" after the shock wave hit their truck.

Given the "dad" commenting on the video that he expects the storage tank to "collapse" at any minute, I wonder if what happened was a form of "BLEVE" (boiling liquid expanding vapor explosion) explosion. These can also turn a "normal" industrial fire into a major violent explosion.

Anhydrous is stored just as propane is so yes a bleve is possible.

I still don't think this is an anhdrous plant but a terminal which would likely have dry urea there as well which would explain the major explosion if this was indeed not a process plant.

 

[Thundergod]

Fertilizer is *highly* flammable.

I'm betting this was nothing but a horrible, horrible industrial accident.

this is wrong. Anhydrous Ammonia is not highly flammable. it's flashpoint is like 1500 degrees.


let me break this down.
a terminal will have all sorts of dry fertilzers available to purchase, anhydrous and dry urea being two of the more common used in agriculture.
There is likely to even be fuel on site for farmers to purchase, propane on site for purchase.. a fire at a terminal that has dry urea stored there would explode like nobodys business. it would be a "bomb" Any Anhydrous or propane on site could likely bleve is not cooled by water.


If this were a true Anhydrous Ammonia processing plant is would look like a small refinery. reference the photo above.

If this were a true Anhdrous Ammonia plant there would be procedures in place and it would be a process safety managment facility and I guarantee you people within a number of miles would know the possibilites of a catastrophe. It's protocol.

This place was fined 2,000 for not having an emergency action plan.. Had this been a true Anhyrdous plant OSHA woulda hammered them for not having one.

 

[Liberty Belle]

You know our little communities down here, everyone is joining together to assist in any way necessary to help. These situations never weaken us, they only serve to strengthen us.

And yes, I thought about you and your friend last night since we're all connected somehow, glad to hear she's alright.