C5SilverBullet
04-26-2011, 9:34am
TEXAS CITY—The Texas City Office of Emergency Management sent out an automated message alerting that all schools in Texas City ISD are closed Tuesday due to a shelter-in-place. Today is TAKS testing day.
La Marque ISD officials announced they will delay the start of school until 10 a.m. due to the shelter-in-place.
Several roads in the Texas City area have also been shut down, according to TxDOT. The roads are SH 197 at SH 146, FM 519 at SH 146, and FM 1765 at SH 197.
The Texas Department of Transportation - Houston District will continue to monitor the incident in coordination with National Weather Service (NWS), Texas Department of Public Safety (TXDPS) Region 2, State Operations Center (SOC) and local emergency Management staff.
The shelter-in-place was issued Tuesday around 5:25 a.m. after sirens went off at the Valero plant. Valero and Marathon Oil both lost power around 4:40 a.m.
Power was lost at BP’s Texas City refinery and Dow Chemical around 11 p.m. Monday and Texas City officials sent out an automated message saying that the BP plant declared a Level 3 emergency.
According to the Galveston Daily News, that order was lifted at 3 a.m. and the alert level lowered to a Level 2 monitoring situation, Texas City Homeland Security Coordinator Bruce Clawson said. While the threat level was lowered, the city was not going to send out a phone alert until about 6 a.m. so not to wake residents, Clawson said.
After power went down at the Valero and Marathon Oil refineries, both facilities activated their flare systems and the alert was issued.
Marathon had its power situation under control quickly, Clawson said. Valero was flaring, and was expected to have its situation under control soon.
When the plant loses power they have to burn off their excess product in order to prevent any buildup that could cause an explosion, said TJ Aulds, with the Galveston Daily News. He said all the flares at the BP plant were going off at once.
At least nine large flares could be seen from Interstate 45 and the Texas City Wye early into the incident, the Galveston Daily News said.
There was no word on what caused the power outages, but there is some indication because of drought and windy conditions in the county that a buildup of salt on power line insulators may be to blame, according to the Galveston Daily News. Area refineries and chemical plants experienced power "blips" last week several times, officials said.
Some residents complained of the smell on the KHOU 11 News Facebook page.
"The smell is very strong! My eyes are burning & my stomach is soured. The strong winds are not helping AT ALL!" one woman wrote.
Residents were advised to close their doors and windows and turn off their air conditioners until the situation was under control.
La Marque ISD officials announced they will delay the start of school until 10 a.m. due to the shelter-in-place.
Several roads in the Texas City area have also been shut down, according to TxDOT. The roads are SH 197 at SH 146, FM 519 at SH 146, and FM 1765 at SH 197.
The Texas Department of Transportation - Houston District will continue to monitor the incident in coordination with National Weather Service (NWS), Texas Department of Public Safety (TXDPS) Region 2, State Operations Center (SOC) and local emergency Management staff.
The shelter-in-place was issued Tuesday around 5:25 a.m. after sirens went off at the Valero plant. Valero and Marathon Oil both lost power around 4:40 a.m.
Power was lost at BP’s Texas City refinery and Dow Chemical around 11 p.m. Monday and Texas City officials sent out an automated message saying that the BP plant declared a Level 3 emergency.
According to the Galveston Daily News, that order was lifted at 3 a.m. and the alert level lowered to a Level 2 monitoring situation, Texas City Homeland Security Coordinator Bruce Clawson said. While the threat level was lowered, the city was not going to send out a phone alert until about 6 a.m. so not to wake residents, Clawson said.
After power went down at the Valero and Marathon Oil refineries, both facilities activated their flare systems and the alert was issued.
Marathon had its power situation under control quickly, Clawson said. Valero was flaring, and was expected to have its situation under control soon.
When the plant loses power they have to burn off their excess product in order to prevent any buildup that could cause an explosion, said TJ Aulds, with the Galveston Daily News. He said all the flares at the BP plant were going off at once.
At least nine large flares could be seen from Interstate 45 and the Texas City Wye early into the incident, the Galveston Daily News said.
There was no word on what caused the power outages, but there is some indication because of drought and windy conditions in the county that a buildup of salt on power line insulators may be to blame, according to the Galveston Daily News. Area refineries and chemical plants experienced power "blips" last week several times, officials said.
Some residents complained of the smell on the KHOU 11 News Facebook page.
"The smell is very strong! My eyes are burning & my stomach is soured. The strong winds are not helping AT ALL!" one woman wrote.
Residents were advised to close their doors and windows and turn off their air conditioners until the situation was under control.