Texas City disaster
1947 explosions at Texas City, Texas
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Key Takeaways
- The Texas City disaster was an industrial accident that occurred on April 16, 1947, in the port of Texas City, Texas, United States, located in Galveston Bay.
- history and one of history's largest non-nuclear explosions.
- This started a chain reaction of fires and explosions aboard other ships and in nearby oil-storage facilities, ultimately killing at least 581 people, including all but one member of Texas City's volunteer fire department.
- Background Geography The Port of Texas City is located in a protected harbor inland from Galveston, with relatively straight access to the Gulf of Mexico.
- In 1946, some 4,000 ships loaded or unloaded cargo in the port.
The Texas City disaster was an industrial accident that occurred on April 16, 1947, in the port of Texas City, Texas, United States, located in Galveston Bay. It was the deadliest industrial accident in U.S. history and one of history's largest non-nuclear explosions.
The explosion was triggered by a mid-morning fire on board the French-registered vessel Grandcamp (docked at port), which detonated her cargo of about 2,300 tons (about 2,100 metric tons) of ammonium nitrate. This started a chain reaction of fires and explosions aboard other ships and in nearby oil-storage facilities, ultimately killing at least 581 people, including all but one member of Texas City's volunteer fire department.
The disaster drew the first class action lawsuit against the United States government, on behalf of 8,485 plaintiffs, under the 1946 Federal Tort Claims Act.
Background
Geography
The Port of Texas City is located in a protected harbor inland from Galveston, with relatively straight access to the Gulf of Mexico. The port expanded greatly during World War II, as many wartime chemical and oil plants were located in or near the city. In 1946, some 4,000 ships loaded or unloaded cargo in the port. The growth of the town caused a housing shortage, and housing for black and Hispanic residents was located close to the port. The nearest neighborhood was only .5 miles (0.80 km) away from the site of the explosion. Within 1 mile (1.6 km) there were six major chemical or oil companies, nine piers, eleven warehouses, a grain elevator, and many homes.
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