The original diary is here:
BREAKING: Chlorine Gas Cloud Threatens NC Suburb
UPDATE
First, we're fine, and gloriously, everyone else in the area seems to be fine in the immediate aftermath, too. For all the explosions and fires and deadly chemicals and poison gas clouds, there have been no deaths, no injuries, and only some minor respiratory complaints from a dozen or so of the first responders, who were already treated & released at a local hospital.
Second, we're not in Greensboro after all. We packed bags and gathered all the necessaries, and at about 4:00 am with keys in hand we decided to stay in "ready" position. Just as we went to load the van and wake the kids, the skies opened with severe thunderstorms. The wind positions were shifting and we didn't want to get stuck in our car in the middle of that mess. We'd been up all night and the idea of heading out into the dark to drive sleep-deprived through the storms seemed the more foolish choice, especially with our house being in what seemed to be an unaffected area. We figured "the devil you know," at that point. It wasn't a matter of money or convenience; it seemed genuinely the safer choice right then.
It seems to have been the right choice. Our kids go to a charter school a good distance away from both our house and the town of Apex, so they are safely at school right now. Mr. Brown took his packed bag with him to work in case the situation worsened and we needed to leave quickly and/or in separate cars. I've caught a few hours of sleep, finally, and the immediate risk seems to be over.
The steady rain seems to have solved the immediate problem of the drifting smoke cloud full of god-knows-what chemical components settling over land and homes. Of course, the long-term effects on the ground, water, and soil will be the focus as the days move on. For all the drama, this was still a relatively small plant, nothing on the scale of Bhopal or Chernobyl.
To crib South Park, I've learned something here today. Actually, the whole thread and experience brought up several points:
1, Kossacks are the best. In the literal middle of the night, I had expert advice, sincere concern and well-wishes, good company, and offers of help from friends and strangers offering their homes and $$'s to chip in for hotels if needed. Please let me offer my heartfelt thank you, to one and all.
2. Trust, or mistrust, of government and the media plays a key role in your decision-making in the middle of a crisis. There's no way I will trust the federal agencies that get involved in the diagnosis and clean up efforts, but I found that despite dire warning from folks in the comments, I had a very, very high level of trust in our local authorities.
A good deal of that trust is well-earned from experience with how the town has handled past events. Most recently, our city discovered e-coli bacteria in a water sample, and even though they were pretty sure the source of the small contamination was known (a local homeowner had done some unauthorized plumbing repairs and had accidentally hooked up some sewer pipes to some city water pipes) the town issued a "boil-water" order and closed down ALL city restaurants from Friday night through Sunday, until they had conducted tests and could assure residents that the water was clear. This cost the city and local business owners estimated millions of dollars in lost revenue, but few people complained, citing the welfare of citizens as a top priority.
Local government responded quickly and fluidly. Decisions were made fast and contingency plans for the elderly, etc, seemed to be in place. I'm sure lessons will be learned about how to do it better, but the Apex officials seemed to have their act together and be taking care of getting people to safety, well ahead of any state or federal responses. As always in these kinds of situations, the real heroes are the little people--folks who knocked on neighbor's door, who opened up homes for friends to sleep in, even the cafeteria lunch ladies who came out in the middle of the night to the elementary schools that were being used as shelters and started working in the kitchens to prepare breakfast for the evacuees. Firefighters and police made quick and what seem to be smart decisions in the face of a changing situation that was literally blowing in the wind.
Our local media also behaved admirably. Kudos to WRAL for staying on all night, keeping accurate and updated information through TV, radio, and their website. Even today their reporters were getting the company spokesperson for the chemical plant on the phone and asking hard-hitting questions about the company's practices and policies and past fines. I wish national media outlets showed the same backbone as I've seen in our local Carolina affiliate.
3. Folks in the thread brought up some key issues about locations of industry and residences. I'd really suggest some of the great commenters from the thread expand those ideas in to their own diaries or series. It's an important issue.
4. Disaster preparedness is for EVERYONE. Do you know what you'd do if the knock came on your door at midnight to "get out, NOW!" ? Everyone should read or re-read AlphaGeek's excellent series on disaster preparedness.
Finally, I know this isn't over. It's pretty clear we're not going to be blown up or enveloped in a chemical cloud today, but the long term questions and accountability are just beginning. No one is willing yet to hazard a guess about when Apex folks will be able to get back to their homes. The spokesperson from EQ (the haz-mat disposal company whose plant exploded) didn't seem to be able to say just exactly what kinds of materials were stored at the plant--firefighters still don't know WHAT is burning, even as I type this. The local residents didn't seem to know what dangers were in their own backyards. Why was the company fined for so many violations, and did a similar event happen in one of their facilities in another state?
The questions and accountability and long-term risks will continue, but for now, we're home--vigilant, but settled and thankful to all.