I’m taking a detour today to remember the Graniteville train disaster that occurred 7 years ago in the early morning hours of 6 JAN 2005. Just as with 9-11 and most of my days, I first turn on the TV to see the local news before my foot hits the floor. Usually, there is someone at the anchor desk giving the previous day’s news, but this particular day it was BREAKING NEWS. My jaw was hanging open as I stared at the TV in such disbelief. Information was trickling in about the train crash and derailment. This happened about 18 miles east of us, so I was concerned. Let me just say that this happened in the middle of town and the real problem was a chlorine tanker leaking deadly gas. People did not know what was happening and first responders were not aware of the poisoned air at first. Nine people died and so many people were injured. Most people were at home asleep when the gas began entering their homes—unsuspecting…
For days, we waited to hear more news and see photos, aerial photos or any footage that would tell more of the story. There were stories of despair but pockets of joy. No one could get near the wreck at first. The cause was like so many things…human error. A switch for a side rail had been changed when rail cars were moved and was not switched back. Think of playing “train” or whatever you call it when you are little. The locomotive stops all of a sudden causing all of the kids behind to pile up. That is what happened. Days passed before the train could be approached and more time passed before the leak was contained and weeks before the mess was cleaned up. People had been evacuated from their homes not knowing the extent of the problem and could not return. Night shift personnel were killed who were on duty at the local mill. There was no escaping it when the chlorine cloud blew your way. The gas caused electronics to malfunction from phones to automobile ignitions. It was just a horrific time. No one could believe that this had happened. Some individuals had permanent damage to their lungs. This demonstrates to us that we never know what will happen after we go to bed. The derailment had drastic consequences. The mill that many in the town worked at was forced to close. People lost loved ones, jobs, economic stability, and the sense of safety at night. Eventually the railway was repaired and trains ran again, but so many people shuddered every time a train came through town.
from Popular Mechanics with photo credit to Andrew Davis Tucker
from Wikipedia - after cleanup began
This was preventable. I think that is the hardest thing to accept. Many horror stories have come out of this, possibly the biggest being that the governor called for a federal emergency declaration though FEMA rejected that request. You may remember that it was later that same year when FEMA again dropped the ball with its handling of Hurricane Katrina.
So, for all of the ones who lost their lives and to all the ones whose lives were forever changed, I remember… May we not forget those who were lost in this tragic event. Here is the link to the marker that commemorates that fateful day. So tragic. So unnecessary.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
