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Hurricane Irma’s Chemical Fallout Could Be Worse than Harvey’s

  • Florida plants sit filled with potentially explosive material
  • Safety experts, Texas residents say to expect the unimaginable
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The Economic Damage Irma Might Cause to the U.S.

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Before flames and smoke leaped into the sky over the Arkema chemical plant in Crosby, Texas, last week, Jolyn Masters was hunkered down at home on a Hurricane Harvey-flooded street a mile away. Then came a knock. A National Guard evacuation boat was waiting because of what was expected at Arkema.

For the next three days, Masters called a company hot line for information about the nine trailers containing volatile chemicals on Arkema’s property. “I was on a first-name basis with one of the ladies,” Masters said.