Hurricane Harvey

[Urwumpe]

Well, you win the "Horrible thought of the day" award. That being said, the number of dead known so far is 14. There's a possibility that when the waters drain, more will be found...

Its actually 30. 14 just in Houston, 29 in the USA. Also, there is a high number of people missing right now.

 

[Tex]

We feel incredibly blessed. The water came closer to the house after raining literally all day Monday, but it seems that we are now clear. The street has drained after very little rain (comparatively speaking) yesterday. The greater Houston area is far from normalcy though. Many areas are still flooded. We're unable to travel on some highways and businesses remain closed. Good thing we stocked up on supplies. Grocery stores have dwindling supplies because delivery trucks can't get through the flooded areas to bring fresh supplies.

 

[RisingFury]

Looks like Harvey just doesn't want to quit. Port Arthur got 60 cm of rain over night and is now completely swamped. Individuals with boats have been called in to help. Beaumont is under water as well.


Glad to hear you're ok, Tex

---------- Post added at 18:40 ---------- Previous post was at 17:23 ----------

I'm sure this is going to make a lot of people very happy (politics, but Harvey related):

https://www.apnews.com/83e6782d48e0...low&utm_source=Twitter&utm_medium=AP_Politics

The Latest: GOP eyeing $1B disaster funds cut to help wall

President Donald Trump is promising billions to help Texas rebuild from Hurricane Harvey, but his Republican allies in the House are looking at cutting almost $1 billion from disaster accounts to help finance the president’s border wall.

 

[Urwumpe]

Well, we might not need man-made climate change to see man-made disasters.

 

[Tex]

Interesting graphic from Vox visualizing the amount of rain that's fallen.

https://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2017/8/28/16217626/harvey-houston-flood-water-visualized

 

[jgrillo2002]

This is sickening. A bunch of ladies in a nursing home were stuck in waist-deep water and were only rescued after someone asked for help on social media.

https://www.yahoo.com/gma/hurricane...nts-waist-210704862--abc-news-topstories.html

How they could have missed that, I have no idea. :facepalm:

 

[Quick_Nick]

A chemical plant just northeast of Houston is at risk of explosion following the failure of refrigeration equipment that is needed to cool the volatile compounds produced there.

The CEO of Arkema Inc., Rich Rowe, said Wednesday the Crosby, Texas, facility is flooded by 6 feet of water and that both primary and backup power have failed. Without cooling systems, the risk of fire and explosion grows ever more serious. "The high water and lack of power leave us with no way to prevent it," Rowe said.

http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-...at-flooded-texas-plant-in-danger-of-exploding

 

[Urwumpe]

http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-...at-flooded-texas-plant-in-danger-of-exploding

And now it is reported to happen...

 

[Quick_Nick]

And now it is reported to happen...

Damn. At least twice already.
Supposedly, locals are not at great risk.
But I imagine much of the plant is beyond ruined and restarting operations is going to be hell.

 

[RisingFury]

Two explosions heard from the Arkema plant. Deputies reporting headaches and dizziness. The company won't release a list of chemicals on site...

 

[Artlav]

The company won't release a list of chemicals on site...

Is that legal?

Probably does not matter even if it isn't...

 

[Urwumpe]

Is that legal?

Possibly yes. The companies only need to report chemicals leaving the company to the environment, not what they store or process.

https://www.epa.gov/sites/productio...ntro_to_tri_for_communities_website_final.pdf

The right to know act for this factory could be interesting now....

 

[boogabooga]

http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-...at-flooded-texas-plant-in-danger-of-exploding

Should have learned from Fukushima, that if you rely on electricity to not have a major disaster, your backup generator needs to be well off the ground.

 

[steph]

Lucky there aren't any nuclear facilities in the area? Though, they'd have known in advance, so they could be shut down.
It will be interesting to see how the recovery goes. Maybe more damage than Katrina, but then again...Houston is a bit more economically important than New Orleans (might be wrong, though) , so more funds might be invested in the repairs.

 

[MaverickSawyer]

Should have learned from Fukushima, that if you rely on electricity to not have a major disaster, your backup generator needs to be well off the ground.

But that would require management to use their brains for more than just figuring out how to maximize their share of the profit returns... :dry:

 

[Urwumpe]

But that would require management to use their brains for more than just figuring out how to maximize their share of the profit returns... :dry:

And refactor old factory layouts. Most such chemical factories had once been far outside the city and then got surrounded by suburbia...

 

[RisingFury]

Is that legal?

Probably does not matter even if it isn't...

Yes.

In 2013, in West, Texas there was a powerful explosion at a fertilizer factory, which killed 15 people:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Fertilizer_Company_explosion

https://youtu.be/on-M7z_xFBE?t=1m15s


Before then, Texas mandated that chemical companies disclose to the government the list of chemicals in every facility and the list was available to the public. It was called Tier II Chemical Reporting Program. The idea was that anyone would be able to check the list of chemicals before moving next to a chemical plant...

After the explosion, there was a single change in regulations: Then Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott, now the Governor of Texas decided that the list will no longer be available to the public.

 

[Deleted Orbinaut]

Lucky there aren't any nuclear facilities in the area? Though, they'd have known in advance, so they could be shut down.

The problem with nuclear facilities is that for months or years after they're shut down they generate enough heat due to the radioactive decay of fission products that they require continuous circulating cooling, or they'll melt down.

 

[Urwumpe]

The problem with nuclear facilities is that for months or years after they're shut down they generate enough heat due to the radioactive decay of fission products that they require continuous circulating cooling, or they'll melt down.

Its not that bad in general, but yes, they still produce a lot of heat shutdown, especially during the first weeks.

 

[RisingFury]

[ame="https://twitter.com/keribla/status/903241791264215040"]Keri Blakinger on Twitter: "#arkema spox says: "It's misleading to say it was an explosion. It was an overpressurizatiom that was followed by a fire.""[/ame]

Well, I'm glad that we set this straight!
I'm sure the chemicals aren't toxic. They're merely "lifespan decreasing".