Texas City Disaster

On April 16, 1947, one of the worst harbor disasters in the United States commenced when the French freighter GRANDCAMP, loaded with a cargo of ammonium nitrate fertilizer, caught fire and exploded. The next day, the nearby ship HIGHFLYER exploded. In the then small town of Texas City (pop. approx. 15,000) over 500 people died, about 200 were never located, and many became homeless due to the fires. Most members of the local volunteer fire department were killed while responding to the fires and explosions.