KC DU'ers Please check in - re: chemical fire in KCMO

[Mabus]

Is everyone okay? evl said there was resin near his work place and proud2Blib's school has been evacuated. Please let us know if you're okay.

respond on Missouri thread. http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=162&topic_id=7448&mesg_id=7448

[Fovea]

1. Strawberry hill

there was a noticeable sag in power earlier and here in the house my eyes are a bit irritated. I thnk I smell something like smoke but very dilute at the moment.

[Fovea]

2. at 1730

quite a bit more acrid inside.
They are saying it might burn 72 more hours.

[Fovea]

3. Got some pics, will post soon

slight nosebleed from being outside taking pics.
probably just the cold air.

[Mabus]

6. Just glad to know you're okay

Weird chemicals in the air kind of freak me out. Glad to know you're fairing alright. Looking forward to the pictures.

[Fovea]

12. Here is one of them.

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/cameraobscura/384047012/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="" width="796" height="1024" alt="KCFire2007Feb_3155" /></a>

[Mabus]

14. that looks so ominous

:scared:

How are you doing today? I know you cycle and I figure you'd be a little more sensitive than some of the others.

[Fovea]

15. I can feel it.

I am coughing a lot more.
That pic was from about six miles from the fire.

Have you ever read Don DeLilo's 'White Noise'?
One of the plot devices is the 'Airborne Toxic Event.'

I love the way he uses language in that book. It also describes the life of post modern academics perfectly.

[proud2BlibKansan]

5. I hope we have no school tomorrow

A chemical fire day.

[proud2BlibKansan]

4. I am okay but exhausted

We had to evacuate 300 kids. First thing that happened was the lights flickered about 2:15. Then again about 5 minutes later. Didn't think much of it. Then at 3:00, it was end of the school day and we were ready to go home when the cops called and said get out now. Our school is about 3 to 4 miles east of the plant that exploded. So we had to wait for more buses and took all the kids over to Paseo High School. It was a mess. Parents were there to pick up their kids and running on and off the buses to grab their kids before the buses left. And we were trying to do head counts and organize the kids in some kind of order. And of course some of the kids were crying.

The only smart thing I did was I grabbed my car keys and drove over to Paseo instead of going on a bus. I was the only teacher at my school to do that. So the rest of them were stuck at Paseo without a way back to their cars. For all I know, they are still there.

They evacuated a ton of schools. We lost count. There were schools from way south of Paseo that evacuated to Paseo, and that makes no sense, since Paseo is closer to where the fire was. Typical kcsd dysfunction.

Anyhow, I had to drive right into the path of the cloud of ash on my way to Paseo. It was blue and huge. And my eyes are still burning. Like an idiot, I had my car heater set to intake fresh air.

Then I finally snuck out of Paseo when the number of our teachers exceeded the number of our kids still there. Came straight to the DFA meeting where evl and I presented a slide show of the march in DC. I am in the bar now and haven't seen the news at all. So for all I know, I may be going home to chemical chaos. If I don't post for a few days, you will know I was poisoned on my way home from this bar in Westport.

:scared:

[Mabus]

7. I'm glad you're fine too

When evl told me that your school was one that had been evacuated I was more than a wee bit worried. Just take good care of yourself. Rest your eyes and what ever else you need to. What would I do without you? :loveya: :hug:

[proud2BlibKansan]

8. You'd find someone else to pester

and laugh with. :)

[Mabus]

9. Wouldn't be as much fun

How are you today? How about the kids?

[proud2BlibKansan]

10. Another explosion not long ago

I posted in LBN. My hubby called to tell me he could feel it.

They evacuated 4 schools close to the plant. So his boss decided to send hubby and his crew over to one of them to do some work today while the kids were gone. But when they got there, the building was locked up and they couldn't get in.

So he is driving around the district now on some other inane errand.

Parents are coming in droves to pick up their kids today. I wish they would just let us out early and be done with this nonsense.

[Mabus]

11. No kidding

I don't understand why they don't just call it a day. I guess though, there are some parents who count on the kids being at school so they can work. :shrug:

Inane errand. Jeez, I made a career out of that for a while. I used to have a job that I could get done (on most days) in less than three hours. I had to find things to do the rest of the time. It was insane. I just wandered around campus and met people. If it was cold, I'd head to the library and read. Awww, good times, good times.

[Fovea]

13. Glad you all are ok

What a day!