Two tractor-trailers on fire now at the Arkema plant.
That fire is growing by the minute. And no fire trucks anywhere to be seen - I guess they can’t get there. 
So I gather the evacuation area was 1.5 miles from the plant? Sheesh. It should quickly tell anyone reading this - this is not a Chernobyl proportion disaster. So the major concern is smoke and potentially some flying debris if something explodes. That said… There should not had been any construction within 1.5 mile range to begin with.
@doschicos Having lived in California for many years, I certainly appreciate the much lower gas prices in Texas. However the current situation is the result of a huge run on gas in as people panicked over unfounded concerns regarding long term decreased supply/shortages. Valero, one of the largest fuel producers in Texas, did shut down two coastal refineries during the storm but they have both restarted operations. They expect that the south Texas fuel market, with the exception of Houston due to roads being inaccessible, to return to normal in a couple of days. Here’s hoping.
From an interview with Matt Dempsey of the Houston Chronicle this morning on Democracy Now. I’d like to hear your thoughts @Bunsenburner
My son just bought gas here in Houston: no line; $3.20 for premium.
The chemical plant is in a largely rural area from what I understand.
I just looked it up on google maps, satellite view. It is mostly surrounded by farmland, with a woodsy area off to the east. There are a good number of houses, but not in a dense development.
Peroxides should have been kept as far away and protected as much from other flammable and otherwise nasty chemicals as possible to prevent that kind of scenario - explosion-triggered release or burn of the other chemicals. It is expected that the plant contained other chemicals; after all, peroxides have to be made from some starting materials. It all depends on the quantity and what else will be happening next to those tanks. Isobutylene will burn - it is made of carbon and hydrogen, so there should be no residue if it burns, but if released as gas, it could be a big issue. SO2 is nasty by itself, corrosive and quite toxic. It is also reactive and can violently react with certain substances. Fingers crossed that that particular tank is as far away from the burning peroxides as possible.
Preemptively apologizing for any typos and autocorrects - my eyes are tired today. 
Forgot to add - SO2 is not combustible, but the other properties are sufficient to make it very dangerous. It is heavier than air so will blanket the immediate area if released. It is apparently explosive when compressed.
Just got back from some shopping and filled up the tank. Up another 20 cents a gallon from yesterday (a combo of Harvey effect and holiday weekend I’m sure) and up a total of 66 cents from around 1 week or so ago. Nowhere near Texas.
“Now I’m looking at Hurricane Irma” and then someone else says move inland! Tell that to Houston! For those of you not near coasts, these events have escalated and will probably continue to do so. What do you propose people do? Many major cities and areas are dealing with sea level rise and more assaults by nature all the time. It is very easy to say for those that have never been effected to question things. Why are you in a flood zone? Because many communities were founded a long time ago, and are well established, families putting down roots for generations. Should they just have to move? Flooding is happening in places that have never flooded before.
Should other citizens and taxpayers help when disaster strikes ? To me, the answer is yes. And let’s also look at mitigation efforts going forward.
Earthquakes, out of control brushfires ,etc. in other areas happen . As a taxpayer, I just hope when I see these things happen, that people are taken care of.
I’m all for helping, but within reason. Rebuilding the same house 16 times in 18 years is not within reason. Unfortunately I think our policital system is geared to remediation rather than prevention. It’s always easier to ask for money for homeless families than to ask for money to protect families from becoming homeless at some unspecified future date.
“NFIP paid to rebuild one Houston home 16 times in 18 years, spending almost a million dollars to perpetually restore a house worth less than $120,000. Harris County, Texas (which includes Houston), has almost 10,000 properties which have filed repetitive flood insurance damage claims. The Washington Post recently reported that a house “outside Baton Rouge, valued at $55,921, has flooded 40 times over the years, amassing $428,379 in claims. A $90,000 property near the Mississippi River north of St. Louis has flooded 34 times, racking up claims of more than $608,000.””
I totally agree with helping people when disaster strikes, and realizing that there’s probably nowhere that you could be safe from a natural disaster. But I think you don’t just look at things going forward, you look at what was done wrong before and you make changes. I’m not much on giving it all to God and being blameless and helpless, but figuring out how to fix the problem, though I don’t blame individual homeowners for buying into homes that are for sale.
And fixing homes that are repetitively flooded…okay, feel free to fix your home. But not with taxpayer dollars. There should be some common sense required. The price of the policy should keep going up. Rebuilding a home 16 times? Sure, we’ll insure you for that, but the policy cost is the same as the value of your home.
Also, if one moves inland, there may be other natural disasters which could occur such as tornadoes which are common in flat areas of the midwest, south, and other areas. If conditions are just right, they can cause plenty of destruction in its path…and the path isn’t very predictable as it could suddenly change direction.
Wow!!! Kudos to the bat rescuers.
Do you know that bats give birth to only one offspring a year?! A bat can eat 1.200 mosquitoes an hour! They live 20+ years and are the only flying mammals? Fascinating and very beneficial critters.
Could you imagine, given the climate and standing water, if 250,000 bats perished in Houston what the mosquito problem would be? That would be another disaster in the making. It’s sure to uptick even without a decimated bat population.
I’m with you 100 percent Busdriver. Yes, please; this country needs to have a discussion about our disaster relief-insurance claims-federal compensation policy.
Also, here’s a bit of gallows humor; Build that wall! Yeah, build that SEA-wall!
Here is a great article about how Rice University planned for and responded to Hurricane Harvey. http://www.ricethresher.org/article/2017/09/rice-escapes-major-damage-due-to-preparations