The Texas City Disaster

The Texas City Disaster (HMZND)

Location: Texas City, TX 77590 Galveston County
Buy Texas State flags at Flagstore.com!
Country: United States of America
Buy United States of America flags at Flagstore.com!

N 29° 22.534', W 94° 54.268'

  • 0 likes
  • 0 check ins
  • 0 favorites
  • 488 views
Inscription
On April 16, 1947, three ships—the "Grandcamp", the "High Flyer", and the "Wilson B. Keene"—were docked in the Texas City port. They were loaded with cargo, including ammonium nitrate fertilizer, bound for Europe to assist in the Post-World War II recovery effort. At 8:33 a. m. the Texas City fire department responded to a call for assistance with a fire on the "Grandcamp". As smoke billowed from the ship, spectators gathered to watch. The "Grandcamp" exploded at 9:12 a. m. with a tremendous force that was felt for miles around. A second explosion came at 1:10 a. m. on April 17, when the "High Flyer's" cargo caught fire, destroying the "Wilson B. Keene" as well.

More than 550 people, including 27 firemen, were killed; flying pieces of concrete, steel, and glass injured thousands more; resulting fires took days to extinguish. Response to the disaster came immediately, with the American Red Cross coordinating relief efforts.

Far-reaching effects of the Texas City disaster included the implementation of safety standards and revised emergency medical treatment procedures. Citizens determined to rebuild. By 1950 few physical reminders of the disaster remained, although the event retains a prominent place in state and national history.
Details
HM NumberHMZND
Tags
Year Placed1990
Placed ByTexas Historical Commission
Marker ConditionNo reports yet
Date Added Wednesday, September 24th, 2014 at 11:28am PDT -07:00
Pictures
Sorry, but we don't have a picture of this historical marker yet. If you have a picture, please share it with us. It's simple to do. 1) Become a member. 2) Adopt this historical marker listing. 3) Upload the picture.
Locationbig map
UTM (WGS84 Datum)15R E 315161 N 3251103
Decimal Degrees29.37556667, -94.90446667
Degrees and Decimal MinutesN 29° 22.534', W 94° 54.268'
Degrees, Minutes and Seconds29° 22' 32.04" N, 94° 54' 16.08" W
Driving DirectionsGoogle Maps
Area Code(s)409, 281
Closest Postal AddressAt or near 605 Texas 197 Spur, Texas City TX 77590, US
Alternative Maps Google Maps, MapQuest, Bing Maps, Yahoo Maps, MSR Maps, OpenCycleMap, MyTopo Maps, OpenStreetMap

Is this marker missing? Are the coordinates wrong? Do you have additional information that you would like to share with us? If so, check in.

Check Ins  check in   |    all

Have you seen this marker? If so, check in and tell us about it.

Comments 0 comments

Maintenance Issues
  1. Is this marker part of a series?
  2. What historical period does the marker represent?
  3. What historical place does the marker represent?
  4. What type of marker is it?
  5. What class is the marker?
  6. What style is the marker?
  7. Does the marker have a number?
  8. This marker needs at least one picture.
  9. Can this marker be seen from the road?
  10. Is the marker in the median?