Houston braces for new floods; chemical plant burns anew
— Authorities launched a controlled burn Sunday at a chemical plant damaged by Harvey that already had seen several explosions, saying the highly unstable compounds needed to be neutralized.
Officials announced “proactive measures” to ignite the six remaining trailers at the Arkema plant in Crosby, but said it wouldn’t pose any additional risk to the community. People living within a mile and a half of the site are still evacuated.
Video broadcast Sunday afternoon showed small flames burning in charred structures at the plant, with a limited amount of light gray smoke. John Rull, who lives two miles away, told the Houston Chronicle he heard two booms and saw thick black smoke. He said the explosions were louder than one he heard Friday when two containers burned and that there was much more smoke.
Three trailers containing highly unstable compounds had already caught fire at the plant after backup generators were engulfed by Harvey’s floodwaters, which knocked out the refrigeration necessary to keep the organic peroxides from degrading and catching fire.
Some Houston officials stressed that the recovery from Harvey was beginning, and Mayor Sylvester Turner proclaimed America’s fourth-largest city “open for business.” But the on-the-ground reality varied by place.
Utility crews went doorto-door shutting off power and warning those still in some waterlogged homes in western parts of the city that still more flooding could be heading their way — not from rain but from releases of water in overtaxed reservoirs. At least 4,700 Houston dwellings were under new, mandatory evacuation orders, though about 300 people were thought to be refusing to leave.
Near the town of Liberty, northeast of Houston, some in outlying areas had yet to even return to their homes. “This will last for some people for months, if not years,” said Liberty Fire Chief Brian Hurst.
Contradictions could be seen as well in those with damaged homes taking a break from their cleanup efforts in the sweltering heat to worship on a declared National Day of Prayer, while others worried about thefts in stormravaged neighborhoods.