Anhydrous Ammonia Accident - Houston Texas 1976

[msduckfuck]

That ammonia was probably on its way to make explosives for the army anyway

[dawgnme]

The Houston Chronicle did a retrospective on this accident today. Here's some pictures of the accident, including the huge white cloud. From my perspective of where the Pearl Beer sign used to be, that cloud has stretch from Fountainview/S. Rice well past Newcastle - maybe to Weslayan. That's c. a 2 linear-mile cloud of death. Remarkable.

[KyleaMc]

My Daddy was driving the tractor-trailer that this tractor-trailer landed on ... he died instantly. This video makes me very sad.

[threeby8887]

@KyleaMc I'm sorry that happened to your father.

[KyleaMc]

@threeby8887 Thank you so much ... it especially means so much to me at this time of year. My Daddy was only 40 years old, I was 15 and my brother 16. As little girls do, I worshipped my Daddy and this day was the saddest day of my life. I will see him again, that I know. I thank you for your kindness. Those words mean so much to me. Thank you for taking the time to acknowledge my Daddy and our loss.

[naveslaikss]

chernobly was worse :(

[ourtrashcans]

In 2006 there were only 6 ammonia related accidents in the USA. There werre 706 total aviation fatalities and 42,000 fatalities from auto accidents that same year.

[greatwhitenorth112]

fuck this music

[spambooty2001]

@greatwhitenorth112 Please get a job-or give one- thanks

[greatwhitenorth112]

@spambooty2001 your a little uneducated you have mistake my taste in music as to my employment

[boutteperry]

I remember this accident in Houston as well.This was bad.I thought this was in 1974 though?My bad.

[boutteperry]

I remember this accident in Houston as well.This was bad.

[bennie6623]

I am from Houston and remember this accident. The video is missing the more dramatic footage of the white cloud of ammonia that ENGULFED the entire Loop 610 / Highway 59 interchange. Your footage is showing the clean-up work. People were driving down the freeway and all of a sudden they were engulfed in the cloud. I would like to see film footage of the cloud.

[damianmann]

We liveed within 1 mile of accident. i was 8 1/2 months pregnant and for some reason had called in sick to work that day or would have been right there, we were all told to evacuate and i started running with 2 kids under my arms. This caused me to go into labor about 10 hours later and had trouble getting to hospital, she was born as they were running down the hall with me. I have told her this story for years and I am now able to show her what really happened, thank you for posting.

[cfjtex]

This may sound strange, but i am the baby that Yetti0 is referring to. Alive and well at 36 with no issues due to the accident. My mom was not as lucky. She died several years ago after many surgeries including a lung transplant.

[wildwillie1070]

@cfjtex I am so sorry about your Mom. My wife was in the accident and finally died in August of 1979. She was 25 in May of 1976 when the crash occured. She never had long term vision problems but was on a ventilator full time until she died. I wondered if she could have lived if she had a lung transplant, which were not available until after 1983. Sounds like your Mom did a great job protecting you from the fumes. I just Googled across this site and saw some footage I had never seen.

[Yetti0]

I remember a young mother put her body over her baby's to save it... I wonder what happened to her and the baby who would be in his 30s now

[5T3V1L]

sweet. i live in houston.

[Channelingus]

I saw another farmer's hitch break and the hose of a single anhydrous ammonia tank broke. The ammonia poured out for 30 minutes and the cloud stretched for 1/2 mile. Nobody could get near the tank. If you are in the white vapor you are burned, if you are near what you can see then it's like jumping in a cold swimming pool it takes your breath away.

[emmapassey1]

It is a weak base in comparison.. but it would still burn you badly..

[tangnatalaga]

A tanker that is 3/4 full can turn over in as little as .1G. This accident is caused by the drivers lack of knowledge of this. Compared to a car which require 1.4G. Technically you can't turn a car over going around a curve too fast, although this can cause the driver to loose control of the vehicle. Normally a truck turns over around .4G, but that depends on the load. A lumber load(top heavy load) can turn a truck over a lot less.

[Ryansax1983]

@tangnatalaga Anhydrous Ammonia containers need to be at least 20% empty to account for gas expansion due to temperature shifts. Without the empty space the tank can explode.

[boutteperry]

I thought this happed in 1974???

[blcoomq2]

that shit dont do nothing i fucking love sniffin it its the shit good way to cock meth yap yap

[paradigmtourist]

txsraappraiser - regarding the vegetation in the area, it was burned brown, all around this intersection for an extended period after this accident.

[paradigmtourist]

I was stuck in traffic near this incident that day. I had been on my way to college classes. I still have sinus/nasal problems today in 2009 from the ammonia fumes irritation on that day.

[baddogengineering]

The ammonia is attracted to anything wet or moist. It then reacts and creates Ammonium Hydroxide which is an acid. This is why the eyes and nose burns so strongy.

[iwasapenny]

ammonium hydroxide is a base, its a very strong base in fact.

[dragonridley]

Ammonia is actually a weak base. A strong base would be sodium hydroxide or sodium amide.

[unillenium]

I just finished the exam for my provincial R.O. certificate and from what I've learned death by anhydrous ammonia is the most painful and grizzly death you could possibly die from a chemical accident.

[timin770]

I had an employee that opened a 5-gallon pail of aqua ammonia without wearing his respirator and it knocked him on his ass. I was standing in my bathroom shaving, getting ready for work when I heard the call come over the police scanner and I was like 'WTF is going on at my plant???'

[txsraappraiser]

A native Houstonian told me the vegetation in the area became aggressively healthy after this accident.

[cope]

jupiter is full of ammonia clouds.

[cope]

do the ammonia fumes cause a painful or painless death?

[bitterfly77]

I'm just speculating, but I imagine the pain is quite horrific - as in the case of most burns, chemical or otherwise. There was a leak of ammonia in Chicago in August 2007, and residents local to the leak reported intense burning sensations in their noses and eyes. There were no fatalities, as the leak was somewhat contained within a building. Still, there seemed to be great discomfort and pain involved for nearby residents.

[wyldechylde2007]

I work with anhydrous ammonia, and I've personally seen the damaging effects that it can do when handled improperly. Any farmer or produce grower would tell you the same thing - don't think that this stuff isn't lethal...it can be the safest liquid to work with, or it can be the most fatal.

[cdtdeere4650]

Your completely right! We have always put it on in the fall since the early 80s. So far we have never had an accident. We hope to always keep it that way. However there have been thefts of it in the area. Sure does make your nose run in the tractor cab! lol but all kidding aside. Please everyone be careful!

[LivingintheHills]

I have a relative who was injured in this accident. She had lung and vision problems for the rest of her life.

[doright2k3]

L was only a 9 months. we lived probly 20 minutes away.damn

[srt80123]

do u have any more video of this crash

[bpe3]

I remeber that day. I was a first grade student at Chimney Rock Hall school located less than a mile from the crash. Every kid in the school was quickly piled into any vehicle that was handy, school vans, teachers' personal cars, other staff cars, you name it. I wasn't sure why were leaving, but we were leaving FAST.

[garyws8]

Thank you for sharing this video. I have read about this incident, but this video is a much better picture of what actually happened. I am the president of the Ammonia Safety and Training Institute and will use this information to improve safety and ammonia emergency response. Thank YOU! Gary

[garyws8]

How do I get a copy?

[KasparHauser4]

yep thats some nasty stuff allright!