Rachel on this now: Chemical Plant Near Houston Warns It's About To Explode

[Igel]

19. No, it's having much of the plant under water.

"Unprecedented" means typically "unplanned for."

The new continental rainfall record (it's still unofficial, but it's so much higher than the previous one that it'll stick) was set by Harvey. About 10 miles from this plant. It was ready for something like Ike. A lot of rain, heavy winds. It's good for ice and snow or 105 degree weather for a month.

They used boats to evacuate the shut-down crew, not because they were squeamish about walking in 2-3 feet of water; it was deeper. It was also a mile or two away from the boat launch. And when they showed the rescue boats at work, the ditches near where the boats were launched were thick with mats of fire ants. This was *before* Harvey made its second pass and dumped more rain on Tuesday, pushing the total up near 50".

It's like my high school friend's father's new sidewalk. He built it to withstand pretty much anything. It met code. Then my friend and I made thermite and produced a reasonable size pit in the middle of the thing. He (and county regs) didn't anticipate civilian use of thermite in that particular suburb. Omniscience isn't a human quality.