Selects: The Texas City Disaster of 1947

Texas City's evolution as a petrochemical hub is a tale of strategic geography, wartime efficiency, and industrial expansion.

Texas City, positioned above the Gulf of Mexico, was founded in the late 1800s by Minnesota hunters. From its inception, the vision for the town included a deepwater port with an accompanying canal and rail line, capitalizing on the area's shipping potential. This foresight cemented its future as a major center for petrochemical industry operations characterized by refineries, warehouses, and chemical plants.

Texas City during and after World War II

During World War II, the military took command of Texas City's port, treating it as an invaluable asset for munitions shipping due to its strategic position and facilities. The military ran a tight, efficient operation during the conflict.

Transition to civilian control and industrial boom

Once the war ended, control of the port reverted to civilian hands, where Josh Clark notes a stark contrast in operational rigor. Under civilian administration, oversight became laxer, leading to a more casual stance on handling dangerous cargo. This relaxed approach contributed to an environment where the inherent risks of various c ...

In the days leading up to the disaster, critical attention is drawn to the cargo that was held within the Liberty ships docked at the port, bringing significant focus to the ammonium nitrate and its risky storage conditions.

In the days leading up to the disaster, three Liberty ships docked in the port were loaded with massive amounts of ammonium nitrate fertilizer, as well as other potentially volatile cargo.

Three ships were present at the Texas City port on April 16, 1947, with two notably being the SS Grand Camp and the SS High Flyer. Both ships were loaded with enormous quantities of ammonium nitrate, which arrived by train and was subsequently transferred onto the ships. The SS Grand Camp held about 2,300 tons, while the SS High Flyer was loaded with an estimated 1,000 tons of this chemical compound.

The ammonium nitrate was stored in 100-pound paper sacks, which were susceptible to heating up and becoming unstable when tightly packed in the unventilated cargo holds.

The ammonium nitrate fertilizer aboard these vessels was packed into 100-pound paper sacks, commonly used for Portland cement. This method of storage is significant because it highlights a critical safety issue: the paper sacks were prone to heat buildup and could become unstable when stacked closely together in the ships' unventilate ...

The shocking events that unfolded due to the ammonium nitrate explosions were marked by a series of missteps and miscalculations that exacerbated a dangerous situation, leading to massive destruction and the loss of hundreds of lives.

Smoke and vapors first drew attention to a potential fire aboard a ship carrying ammonium nitrate. Despite efforts to put out the fire by pumping in steam, the situation worsened, ultimately triggering a deadly explosion.

When smoke and vapors were noticed coming from the cargo holds, the ship captain attempted to put out the fire by pumping in steam, which only exacerbated the situation by heating up the ammonium nitrate.

Early in the morning, workers noted smoke and vapors emitting from the ship's cargo holds, signaling a fire. The captain tried to extinguish the blaze by introducing steam, a recognized firefighting method that, in this case, tragically increased heat and moisture. The steam catalyzed the ammonium nitrate to solidify and emit gas, building considerable pressure that eventually blew the hatches off.

The heated ammonium nitrate reached a critical point where it began to decompose, releasing gases that rapidly expanded and caused massive explosions, the first of which was equivalent to a 2.7-kiloton blast.

At 9:12 a.m., the ammonium nitrate reached a critical point and began to decompose, releasing gases that rapidly expanded. This intense pressure resulted in a colossal explosion, equivalent to a 2.7-kiloton blast, largely felt across the area and compared to one-fifth the size of the Hiroshima bomb's energy.

The explosions and resulting shockwaves destroyed buildings, ships, and equipment, and killed hundreds of people, including the entire local fire department, with many more injured or missing.

The explosion and consequent shockwaves obliterated adjacent chemical plants, buildings, and infrastructure. The blast was powerful enough to send parts of the Liberty ship thousands of feet into the ...

In the wake of the Texas City disaster, the local community and the nation grappled with the extensive loss of life, the enormous damage to the area, and the implications for industrial safety.

The explosions sparked fires across the port and surrounding area that took a week to fully extinguish, and the recovery effort was hampered by the severe loss of life and resources.

The SS High Flyer, loaded with ammonium nitrate and sulfur, was a concern after being dislodged from its moorings, but it remained intact. The extensive damage to the port of Texas City from the explosions included steel buildings turned into twisted metal, and trapped individuals amidst the rubble. Aid arrived from various military branches and firefighters from the surrounding cities.

The fires took a week to fully extinguish, with rescue and recovery efforts challenged by the vast extent of destruction. The official death toll was close to 600, with 113 individuals vaporized leaving no trace, and casualties estimated to range from 3,500 to 5,000. Bodies continued to be found, with the last not recovered until mid-May. Many victims, including a collection of hands, were never identified, and relatives sorted through remains in a desperate attempt to find their loved ones. A total of 61 unidentified people were interred, assembled and honored with a memorial service attended by thousands.

The town, with a pre-disaster population of around 16,000, suffered both emotionally and financially, incurring about $100 million in property loss and $500 million in lost petroleum products – equating to an estimated $700 million to $3.5 billion in today’s dollars.

The disaster left a lasting impact on the Texas City community, with hundreds of unidentified victims buried in a memorial park, and the town rebuilding and eventually surpassing its pre-disaster size and importance as a petrochemical hub.

A memorial park now exists where 63 unidentified victims are buried. A monument, which includes an anchor and a scarred propeller from the ships, commemorates those lost. A substantial funeral procession of around 5,000 mourners evidenced the profound effect on the community, as did the participation of over 50 funeral homes from 28 cities to honor the unidentified deceased.

Despite the catastrophe, Texas City managed to rebuild and eventually developed into a more prominent ...