Fires and two explosions have rocked a Houston-area chemical plant in the wake of Tropical Storm Harvey, even as floodwaters from days of relentless rain receded and the threat of major dangers from the storm moved east towards the Texas-Louisiana border.
Key points:
- Officials say the plume is “incredibly dangerous” but locals have been secured
- The death toll currently stands at 37, but is expected to rise as waters recede
- Hurricane Harvey has moved on to Louisiana, bringing heavy rain and winds
Texas is in the grip of severe flooding caused by former hurricane Harvey, which hit the US state last Friday as a category four storm and has left at least 37 people dead — a toll that is expected to rise as waters recede.
On Thursday, storm-related power outages prompted two explosions at a flood-hit Arkema SA chemical plant in Crosby, Texas, north-east of Houston, with one sheriff’s deputy sent to the hospital after inhaling toxic chemicals.
An Arkema company official described the smoke as a noxious irritant created after refrigeration systems on a truck used to store the chemicals failed, causing them to overheat.
“The plume is incredibly dangerous,” Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) administrator Brock Long said at a news briefing.
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