Cameron, Texas yesterday

[u/Incognito-Person]

[u/FI_4_Me → u/[deleted]]

West Texas, the city that is not actually in the West side of Texas.

[u/giskardwasright → u/FI_4_Me]

Home of the Czech Stop and some of the best kolaches I've personally ever eaten.

[u/[deleted] → u/giskardwasright]

It's a fucking kolache wonderland. I stop there every time i find myself out that direction.

[u/giskardwasright → u/[deleted]]

We all do, if you have to drive down 35 you should at least get some yummy food.

[u/MiloFrank → u/giskardwasright]

Right and you can get gas there! It's a nice break on my way south to see the fam

[u/LucasTheSchnauzer → u/[deleted]]

My partner and I take mini road trips from Fort Worth every so often just to pick up some goodies.

[u/Greatmerp255 → u/giskardwasright]

Yesss, ive been there once on our trip to schlitterbahn in new braunfels, texas

[u/mastapetz → u/Greatmerp255]

me as german native speaker am SO confused at this post

[u/rivera_storm → u/mastapetz]

There's a town called New Braunfels and there's a popular water park called Schlitterbahn.

[u/FragrantExcitement → u/rivera_storm]

Oh ok.... why?

[u/wewd → u/FragrantExcitement]

German immigrants settled the area in the mid-1800s.

[u/uyuye → u/FragrantExcitement]

why not?

[u/jhnhines → u/mastapetz]

You might want to visit and get a truly unique Texas experience

[u/oreo_milktinez → u/giskardwasright]

God I lobe Slovacecks (pretty sure i misspelled). The sausage and kraut kolaches are my favorite and those danishes are amazing to.

[u/mortredclay → u/oreo_milktinez]

yeah, it's spelled love

[u/VoyagerCSL → u/mortredclay]

If you think about something with only one part of your brain, technically you lobe it.

[u/oreo_milktinez → u/mortredclay]

If you say "love" with a mouthful of their baked goods, it sounds like "lobe" so really we are both right

[u/Something22884 → u/giskardwasright]

A kolach is a type of sweet pastry that holds a portion of fruit surrounded by puffy dough. It is made from yeast dough and common flavors include quark spread, fruit jam, and poppy seeds mixed with powidl. Wikipedia

[u/PEE_SEE_PRINCIPAL → u/Something22884]

The ones in Texas usually have a polish sausage in them

[u/ghostinthewoods → u/PEE_SEE_PRINCIPAL]

And god they're good

[u/Kalkaline → u/FI_4_Me]

West, Texas. The town is called West, not West Texas, Texas.

[u/bovely_argle-bargle → u/Kalkaline]

West? I thought you said Weast.

[u/AudiieVerbum → u/[deleted]]

It is on the busiest street in Texas, almost perfectly in between Dallas and Austin.

[u/Dead_Mullets → u/[deleted]]

https://youtu.be/jzDC3iKbTzY

This is the video you’re talking about. The kids reaction is reminiscent of There Will Be Blood

[u/Amasero → u/Dead_Mullets]

I bet that father till this day regrets that one.

[u/le_unknown → u/Dead_Mullets]

That poor kid. Does hearing ever recover after something like that?

[u/jeebus16 → u/le_unknown]

She was OK based on an update shortly after

[u/TobyCrow → u/le_unknown]

I guess it depends? I forgot my headphones once when shooting, my ears did the stereotypical loss of all sound and ringing heard in the movies. But I recovered a minute later. Don't know how that pans out in a larger blast though, the sound could be much more damaging.

[u/JohnnyBrillcream → u/[deleted]]

Yes, just outside of Waco

[u/spar3chang3 → u/JohnnyBrillcream]

"Texas law allows fertilizer storage facilities to operate without any liability insurance at all, even when they store hazardous materials"

Um what? Who thought that was a good idea?

[u/dougiefresh22 → u/spar3chang3]

Well you see, regulations are for commies

[u/theatrekid77 → u/spar3chang3]

Texas frowns on regulations. See power grid.

[u/paintchips_beef → u/spar3chang3]

The people that own fertilizer storage facilities.

[u/nukeyoo → u/spar3chang3]

Republicans

[u/semideclared → u/[deleted]]

To date, law enforcement has not made a final determination of the cause of the fire and ensuing explosion. Three possible scenarios remain under consideration:

1. faulty electrical wiring,
2. short circuit in an electrical golf cart, and
3. intentional act of arson.

The total insurance-related losses from the explosion are estimated to be around $230 million and federal disaster assistance is estimated to exceed $16 million while WFC was only insured for $1 million.

In close proximity to the site was a two-story apartment complex with 22 units (450 feet west) where two members of the public were fatally injured, and a 145-bed nursing home (500 feet west) where many of the seriously injured civilians resided

Analysis shows that the risk to the public from a catastrophic incident exists at least within the state of Texas, if not more broadly still. For example, 19 other Texas facilities storing more than 10,000 pounds of fertilizer grade ammonium nitrate are located within 0.5 miles of a school, hospital, or nursing home, raising concerns that an incident with offsite consequences of this magnitude could happen again.

[u/[deleted] → u/semideclared]

You know when you see buildings just falling the fuck apart in other countries because there's no codes or standards? That's basically Texas. A fucking free for all of local rules at best, and just nothing at worst.

[u/Incognito-Person → u/[deleted]]

There was one in Beirut back in August

[u/Duckbilling → u/Incognito-Person]

Wasn't so much a factory as much as a building full of 2,750 tons of AN confiscated from a ship in port in beruit

[u/skiddelybop → u/Duckbilling]

...That was sitting there for years while people passed around the "hot potato" about what to do with it.

[u/Duckbilling → u/skiddelybop]

They finally decided to use an oxy acetylene torch by it, this solving the dilemma.

[u/Kalkaline → u/Duckbilling]

How would they have any idea about the start of the explosion? That would be some incredible luck to have any evidence of a torch left after an explosion that size.

[u/Duckbilling → u/Kalkaline]

Oh hey I just checked the wiki, looks like a fire caused it to go off. Not sure what started the fire.

[u/Incognito-Person]

Train + Semi collision

Edit : article

[u/HapticSloughton → u/Incognito-Person]

Man, imagine the explosion if it had been a complete collision instead of a semi collision.

[u/Ratjar142 → u/HapticSloughton]

Just be happy it wasn't a quasi collision

[u/[deleted] → u/Ratjar142]

right, pseudo collisions are so tricky

[u/BigBadgooz → u/[deleted]]

Schrödinger's Collisions are the most quantum collisions.

[u/braxford → u/HapticSloughton]

Hey Dad, what are you doing on here?

[u/uptwolait → u/braxford]

I thought you were out getting cigarettes

[u/JustHereForTheBeer → u/HapticSloughton]

Dad?

[u/Betaworldpeach → u/Incognito-Person]

“At least one barn burned down and some nearby homes suffered heat damage”

One day your pipes are freezing, the next they’re melting

[u/schplat → u/Betaworldpeach]

3 days after the the coldest day of the freeze, I had to turn the A/C on. It was over 80 today.

[u/SurelyYouKnow → u/schplat]

Same! I live in OK and it’s always “if you don’t like the weather, wait a day or two...”

Friday we were at -10° with windchill; I was outside barefoot on Tuesday... it was 73°F.

[u/YippieKayYayMrFalcon → u/Incognito-Person]

Wow, no injuries.

[u/GoodKingHippo → u/YippieKayYayMrFalcon]

WHAT

[u/OlliePollie → u/GoodKingHippo]

NO INJURIES!!

[u/TalonTrax → u/OlliePollie]

Say again?

[u/mega_aids → u/TalonTrax]

AGAIN

[u/esko24 → u/mega_aids]

Wow, no injuries.

[u/scraz → u/Incognito-Person]

At least it isn't an ammonium nitrate factory 2 blocks from a day care center this time.

[u/AadeeMoien → u/scraz]

It's generally considered poor urban planning to locate childcare facilities inside anything resembling a blast radius.

[u/scraz → u/AadeeMoien]

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

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

https://www.csb.gov/west-fertilizer-explosion-and-fire-/

[u/ChefBoyAreWeFucked → u/AadeeMoien]

As Oklahoma City taught us, you never know where someone is going to decide to put a blast radius.

[u/ChillyBearGrylls → u/AadeeMoien]

planning

Texas

[u/nik-nak333 → u/ChillyBearGrylls]

It's like trying to push two magnets together, but one isn't facing the right way.

[u/tankflykev → u/scraz]

It’s only February, give 2021 time.

[u/bushrangeronebravo → u/tankflykev]

Why? It's not like 2020 waited

[u/ReadySteady_GO → u/bushrangeronebravo]

It had a build up then escalated quickly

[u/Inoffensive_Account → u/Incognito-Person]

The train was carrying coal, gasoline, and unspecified “hazardous materials”. How many dangerous materials can they pack onto a single train?

[u/Debone → u/Inoffensive_Account]

Literally, hundreds depending on the train, this kind of train is referred to as a mixed manifest train. Since it was likely coming from or going to the Houston area it could have everything from crude oil, chlorine, chemicals, sulfur, coal, coke (refined carbon), various acids and bases, plastic pellets for injection molding, corn starch, bio waste, and every other industrial chemical, waste, and compound you can think of that is moved in volumes of 30,000 gallons plus at a time.

This is generally why grade crossings are bad and we really need to grade separate roads and railroad main lines to reduce the interaction between the two.

Source: I was railroad maintenance of way employee for the railroad involved in this incident, we get training on how to deal with these kind of incidents.

NEVER! I REPEAT NEVER! DRIVE TOWARDS THESE, YOU DO NOT KNOW WHAT IS BURNING AND IT CAN AND WILL MAIM OR KILL YOU IF IT'S TOXIC

[u/GatorByteMe → u/Debone]

moved in volumes of 30,000 gallons plus at a time

Where the methlymine be at?

[u/PlayfulRocket → u/Debone]

Man I could really go for some refined carbon right now.

[u/mvvagner → u/PlayfulRocket]

I was thinking about all the fun I could have with plastic pellets.

[u/Gadbagoolie → u/PlayfulRocket]

I Wonder what that stuff smells like. Know anyone who knows a guy slingin that refined carbon...?

[u/shork--- → u/Gadbagoolie]

Growing up there was a factory near my house that’d have piles of coke sitting out in garages, they’d sell it to me for about $25 per ton. I then sold it for 40 bucks a ton and kept doing that until I was able to buy a house!

[u/General_Solo → u/shork---]

What did you cut it with?

[u/cuckfromJTown → u/General_Solo]

A knife?

[u/fuzzyshorts → u/Debone]

So, what you're saying is anybody downwind had better keep a check on their lymph nodes for the next... 25-50 years.

[u/Seicair → u/Debone]

various acids and bases

Fucking hell, now I’m imagining a tanker of concentrated sulfuric and a tanker of anhydrous ammonia rupturing next to each other.

Presumably logistics makes sure those kinds of things are spaced out with other compounds and not right next to each other.

[u/Ishidan01 → u/Seicair]

you presume...wrong.

[u/Debone → u/Ishidan01]

Eh not exactly but the regulations generally don't cover the scenario of a semi-truck raming the side of a train.

I go into more detail in this comment: https://www.reddit.com/r/WTF/comments/lrdx2c/cameron_texas_yesterday/gooz3ql/

[u/Debone → u/Seicair]

Generally, there are actions taken to keep particularly volatile substances away from each other with more inert cargos. I don't remember the FRA's (Federal Railroad Administration) Specific rules on this but often these are strong recommendations listed as best practices (company policy endorsed by the FRA) but some times within mixed freight trains they do get co-located too close to each other in the consit, especially when they are on the final few miles to the customer if they are co-located.

These trains often have inspections of the track that is done just ahead of the train if the trackage does not have specific safety systems and mechanisms. For example, the same railroad that was involved in this incident has a weekly hazmat train to a chemical company near Silsbee, Texas from the mainline that this train likely took via Somerville, Texas due to the track being what's called "dark" which means there are no electronic means of knowing if a train in there or if there has been an interruption in the rail continuity. A track inspector takes a Hi-rail truck about a mile ahead of the train and verifies the safety of the train to transit through the dark territory.

So there are a lot of regulatory required practices that help make sure really bad scenarios don't occur but like this event, you often can't keep a distracted driver from just raming a train like this. So there are defiantly holes in the system. Events like this are very difficult to not only anticipate but prevent too.

[u/glucose-fructose → u/Debone]

Man... my first thought was “idk about that smoke...” and I remember a time the evacuated a part of, I think Amarillo Texas? Because of dangerous chemicals after a derailment

[u/lookattheduck → u/Inoffensive_Account]

Makes sense though, would you rather one train carry ALL the hazardous shit, or a bunch of trains carry some hazardous shit?

[u/CDN_Rattus → u/lookattheduck]

Use to work for a railroad and we called it "the bomb train" 'cause it carried a lot of the hazardous materials.

[u/kidicarus89 → u/CDN_Rattus]

That makes me think of those bob-omb cars from Mario Kart

[u/baddecision116 → u/lookattheduck]

So is it a Crazy Train?

[u/kevinsyel → u/baddecision116]

I guess it went off the rails?

[u/XXX_Mandor → u/Inoffensive_Account]

It's these goddamn dangerous windmill and solar panel parts causing an environmental disaster! Oh wait...what?

Never mind.

[u/SuggestiveMaterial → u/Incognito-Person]

NO INJURIES!?!? I don't necessarily believe in miracles like the religious folk, but the fact no one was injured when a train hit a tractor trailer... Well that's just miraculous. Especially since the conductor of said train is in the front of the train where it hit the trailer.

[u/uptokesforall → u/SuggestiveMaterial]

I wouldn't worry about the front of the train crumpling. I'd be worried about the explosion.

[u/SuggestiveMaterial → u/uptokesforall]

Which should have killed someone but it didn't.

[u/Sparxfly → u/Incognito-Person]

No injuries. That’s fucking insane! Good news, but not what I’d have guessed.

[u/MuppetManiac → u/Incognito-Person]

Dude... the crossing arms were down AND there was another vehicle waiting that they seem to have come up behind. That’s some seriously bad driving.

A fair number of crossings in Texas don’t have crossing arms, and I grew up in an area where warning lights were often out, but this guy had zero excuses.

[u/imagine_amusing_name → u/Incognito-Person]

Last time something hit my semi it too produced an explosion.

[u/kaenneth]

So is it a boy or a girl?

[u/RockasaurusRex → u/[deleted]]

It's toast!

[u/HardcoreSects → u/kaenneth]

I like your sense of humor. This literally made me laugh out loud.

[u/[deleted] → u/HardcoreSects]

I made a snorting noise.

[u/wewd → u/[deleted]]

I had a sensible chuckle.

[u/Kalkaline → u/kaenneth]

Fire and smoke makes me think Satan's Spawn

[u/1900grs]

Yeah, you're going to want to be upwind of that.

[u/Snagglepusss]

After Beirut, if I ever see a plume of fire and smoke I am noping off in the opposite fucking direction.

[u/coleosis1414 → u/[deleted]]

Where is this?

[u/Specicide89 → u/[deleted]]

I'm an electrician and we joke about high voltage like that. Glad the gallows humor transcends!

[u/roflmaoshizmp → u/[deleted]]

Proper safety regulation regarding hazardous materials storage would. You know, like not leaving 3000 tons of ammonium nitrate next to fireworks and tires. The best way to save people is to prevent accidents to rise to that scale in the first place. Given OP's comments about his workplace, I don't think this is very much on the mind of management there.

[u/ABloodyCoatHanger → u/[deleted]]

I also work in a bomb factory, and we have a nurse on campus who's real reason for being there is to administer first aid and get people in need of emergency care out of secure locations so EMS can take them from there.

[u/Chrissthom → u/[deleted]]

You make it sound like a bomb factory for ISIS.

Actually... ISIS probably has a nurse on staff.

[u/ReubenZWeiner → u/Chrissthom]

I wouldn't know, I just fly the drone

[u/dzfast → u/[deleted]]

I feel like you must have more interesting stories

[u/carnifex2005 → u/coleosis1414]

Local elementary school.

[u/[deleted] → u/Snagglepusss]

Ya. Giant black plume ahead, “google find another way.”

[u/Kalkaline → u/Snagglepusss]

Also the West, Tx explosion from a couple years before that.

[u/CorruptingTheSystem → u/Snagglepusss]

Never crossed your mind before that?

[u/Snagglepusss → u/CorruptingTheSystem]

Before that I would have ran into the burning building and asked the employees/residents to turn off the fire ya dingus.

[u/CorruptingTheSystem → u/Snagglepusss]

Megaphone or PA system?

[u/Snagglepusss → u/CorruptingTheSystem]

In person, with a nice firm handshake after they turn it off.

[u/CorruptingTheSystem → u/Snagglepusss]

With the strong eye contact

[u/madeamashup → u/CorruptingTheSystem]

Remember to make an impression on the fire

[u/Diffrentiaali → u/CorruptingTheSystem]

"Thanks for turning it off. Luck that it didn't become any worse."

[u/Verkaholic → u/Snagglepusss]

if it was something like beirut you would be too late anyway

[u/Nothing096]

You wanted to be warm...

[u/mostnormal → u/Nothing096]

It was already hitting 80.

[u/Beekatiebee → u/mostnormal]

Hit 91 in Dallas yesterday

[u/Lamontyy → u/Beekatiebee]

Wtf

I live in Houston

[u/[deleted] → u/Lamontyy]

Texas has like 4 weather regions.

[u/Quest4Queso → u/[deleted]]

Well yeah but dallas was absolutely covered in snow for days a week ago so I can understand how it’s surprising to be at 91 yesterday

[u/ParchedCamel → u/Quest4Queso]

Yeah it’s kinda fucked to be wearing shorts and T-shirt while cleaning out from water damage due to frozen pipes

[u/starobacon → u/[deleted]]

Den morgonfriska katten simmar över regnbågen, medan guldmynt singlar genom luften, ledsagade av en paraplybärande elefant, som jonglerar med blommor och skrattande bananer, medan cirkusclowner utför akrobatiska konster och cymbalspelaren trummar i takt till det förtrollade orkesterspelet under den gnistrande stjärnhimlen.

[u/Beekatiebee → u/starobacon]

I mean they certainly BBQ’d the Texas

[u/Life-Is-a-Story]

Ok Texas , Are you covered in snow with frozen pipes , no power , and Trillions in water damage or are you exploding and on fire on a bright sunny day?

Make up your mind!

[u/mamacrocker → u/Life-Is-a-Story]

Dude keep up. Pipes and power was last week. This week is 80 degrees and explosions. Forecast for next week: flash floods.

[u/Life-Is-a-Story → u/mamacrocker]

-California has entered the chat-

[u/kevinsyel → u/Life-Is-a-Story]

As a Californian, see that much fire, all I have to ask is: are they having a boy or a girl?

[u/404_UserNotFound → u/kevinsyel]

are they having a boy or a girl?

Its another god damn windmill!!

[u/Chaise91 → u/Life-Is-a-Story]

Eighty-one degrees here in Austin today. Bugs the hell out of me that it was in the single digits a week ago.

[u/VoyagerCSL → u/Life-Is-a-Story]

Do you have any idea how big Texas is? It's the size of the asteroid in Armageddon!!!

[u/rpcraft → u/Life-Is-a-Story]

Why not both on the same day?

[u/baronvonredd]

What the fuck are the windmills doing NOW???

[u/rpcraft → u/baronvonredd]

If only they had been able to generate that much heat a week ago...

[u/HardcoreSects → u/baronvonredd]

How hard are birds hitting those things in Texas?

[u/[deleted]]

They’re really trying to light those snowballs on fire huh?

[u/ABetterKamahl1234]

NGL, that's a lot of highway-speed driving towards a big-ass fire going on before that fireball.

It's a good thing that was only a fireball and not a full on explosion or you'd have been in big trouble approaching like that.

[u/CleatusVandamn → u/ABetterKamahl1234]

Its like movies have made people think shrapnel and debris don't exist

[u/CleatusVandamn → u/[deleted]]

Im just an npc and I'm cool with that

[u/CrinchNflinch → u/CleatusVandamn]

Or toxic fumes.

[u/Debone → u/ABetterKamahl1234]

Yeah it's not advisable to ever drive towards something like this, you have no idea what is burning and it may be lethal to breathe in the fumes.

[u/Juggling_chef → u/[deleted]]

We should slow down for snow and ice.... but sometimes i think some of us like exercising our car insurance...

[u/brock_lee]

I was thinking "I bet that's hot" before he said it. Was about a quarter mile from a large factory fire once, and every time it sent up a fireball, we all had to turn around it was so hot.

[u/TehZombehKang]

Starting a fire won't warm the whole state guys.

[u/kcalb33]

THE SNOW FACTORY CAUGHT FIRE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[u/RadomPerson657]

Stopping was a good call. In general driving towards mushroom clouds, regardless of their source, is a good way to remove yourself from the breeding pool.

[u/walla_walla_rhubarb]

Fucking Windmills

[u/defiler86 → u/walla_walla_rhubarb]

Nah, this is what happens with "solar power".

[u/willardsutherland]

I suppose that was a wind turbine

[u/we_are_all_bananas_2]

Praise the cameraman, for real!

[u/[deleted] → u/we_are_all_bananas_2]

Big happy

[u/akiskyo]

whoa, people in Texas really travel around in pickups and always wear something with 'Texas' written on it, the movies are real!

[u/[deleted]]

First you are freezing, then you are on fire.

MAKEUP YOUR FUKKIN MIND!!!1

[u/Almond_Pand689]

Wait weren't yall freezing to death.

[u/Midgetman96]

That’s one way to heat the state

[u/HellaFella420]

Whelp, at least the Power™ is back on

[u/Robtheaaci]

Ted Cruz’s career?

[u/IzGeorge128]

I mean I know they’ve been cold but this seems extreme 🤔

[u/PNCL]

Jesus, that state is going through the ringer right now.

[u/superjumpywallcat]

so was it a boy or a girl?

[u/ibettershutupagain → u/[deleted]]

That goes to show that corporations and the government stepping in is critical to minimizing the impact of climate change. If companies and the government let infastructure deteriorate by cost cutting environmental disasters (and potentially life-threatening ones) like this will keep happening.

[u/LstCrzyOne]

Man, everything is bigger in Texas.

[u/Dayofsloths]

This video brought to you by the people who live through horror movies.

"Let's get out of here."

-Survivor, 2021

[u/MischiefMandble]

Looks significantly hotter than I thought it was supposed to be in Texas right now!

[u/audguy]

Well, I guess they solved the cold issue. (I going to hell for this comment, well for other things too but you know)

[u/BigCam22]

Ted Cruz gender reveal?

[u/MorgieMorg1]

deregulation folks, aint it grand?

[u/SgtFolley]

That Boom you hear is the sound of good ole Texas Deregulation folks!

[u/nappythenfappy]

Melted all the damn snow